Social Assessment

Madhya Pradesh District Poverty Initiatives Project-II

Dated: 21.12.2008

Prepared by:

State Project Support Unit-MPDPIP

Panchayat and Rural Development Department

Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal

List of Abbreviations

A/V – Audio Visual

AAY – Antyodaya Ann Yojna

ANC – Ante Natal Checkups

ANM – Auxiliary Nurse Midwife

BPL – Below Poverty Line

CBO – Community Based Organization

CC Road – Cement Concrete Road

CEO – Chief Executive Officers

CEO-JP - Chief Executive Officers – Janpad Panchayat

CEO-ZP - Chief Executive Officers – Zila Panchayat

CHC – CommunityHealthCenter

CIG – Common Interest Group

Deptt.- Department

DPSU – District Project Support Unit

DRDA – District Rural Development Agency

EAS – Employment Assurance Scheme

EC – Executive Committee

EPVG – Extremely Poor and Vulnerable Group

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization

FGD – Focused Group Discussion

GB – General Body

GDP – Gross Domestic Product

GEN - General

GoMP – Government of Madhya Pradesh

HDI – Human Development Index

HH – House Hold

HQ – Head Quarters

IAY – Indira Awaas Yojna

ICDS – Integrated Child Development Scheme

IEC – Information Education and Communication

IFAD – International Fund for Agriculture Development

IMR – Infant Mortality Rate

IRDP – Integrated Rural Development Program

IT – Information Technology

JFM – JointForest Management

JRY – Jawahar Rozgar Yojna

KCC – Kisan Credit Card

Kg - Kilogram

Km, KM - Kilometers

M&E – Monitoring and Evaluation

M&L – Monitoring and Learning

MADA – Modified Area development Approach

MDM – Mid-Day- Meal

MFF – Microfinance Federation

MFI – Micro Finance Institution

MMR – Maternal Mortality Rate

MP – Madhya Pradesh

MP DPIP – Madhya Pradesh District Poverty Initiatives Project

MP HDR – Madhya Pradesh Human Development Report

MPRLP – Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihood Project

NABARD – National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

NFBS – National Family Benefit Scheme

NGO – Non-Government Organization

NH – National Highway

NOAP – National Old Age Pension

NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

NRHM – National Rural Health Mission

NSDP – NetState Domestic Product

NSS – National Sample Survey

NTFP – Non-TimberForest Produce

OBC – Other Backward Class

P&RD – Panchayat and Rural Development

PDS – Public Distribution System

PFT – Project Facilitation Team

PHC – PrimaryHealthCenter

PHED – Public Health and Engineering Department

PMGSY – Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna

PRA – Participatory Rural Appraisal

PRI – Panchyati Raj Institution

PTG – Primitive Tribal Group

RCH – Reproductive and Child Health

RGWM – Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission

RLEGP – Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Program

RRB – Regional Rural Bank

SC – Scheduled Caste

SDP – State Domestic Product

SEZ – Special Economic Zone

SGDP – State Gross Domestic Product

SGRY- Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojna

SGSY- Swarnajayanti Grameen Swarozgar Yojna

SHC – Sub-HealthCenter

SHG – Self Help Group

SHG LP – Self Help Group Livelihood Plan

SPSU – State Project Support Unit

SSA – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

ST – Scheduled Tribe

TDP – Tribal Development Plan

TSC – Total Sanitation Campaign

TSP – Tribal Sub-Plan

TV – Tele Vision

UNDP – United Nations Development Program

VDC – Village Development Committee

VRP – Village Resource Person

WCD –Watershed development Committee

WDC – Women and Child Development Department

List of Annexures

Annexure 1: Number of villages in project districts

Annexure 2: Details of BPL Families in DPIP Districts by social groups of BPL Survey Year 2002-03

Annexure 3 Gender and literacy by social group in the sample

Annexure 4 Status of Malnourishment in sample district and state

Annexure 5 Infant and Maternal deaths in Madhya Pradesh and sample districts

Annexure 6 Gap in the primary health facilities in Madhya Pradesh

Annexure 7: Type of dwellings in MP, Total, Rural, SCs in rural and STs in sample district and state

Annexure 8: Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation in sample districts and the state

Annexure 9: Poverty eradication program in MP

Annexure 10. Comparative data highlighting Gender inequality in work and employment in the study area

Annexure 11.Tribal Development in Madhya Pradesh

Annexure 12 Tribal Communities in Madhya Pradesh : An Overview

Annexure 12a List of notified Scheduled Tribes in MADHYA PRADESH as per Census of India 2001

Annexure 13: Number and Area of Operational Holdings of Scheduled Tribe in MP

Annexure 14 Forestry and Tribal

Annexure 14a District-wise extent of forest cover in sample districts of DPIP

Annexure 14b List of NTFP and their local and Botanical names

Annexure15 Labor and Employment

Annexure16 Legal and Policy Framework for Tribal Communities in MP

Annexure 17 Scheduled Tribes in DPIP Districts

Annexure18 Occupational profile of STs in DPIP districts

Annexure18a Work Participation rate of ST in different category of work in rural areas of the DPIP District

Annexure19 Literacy Rates

Annexure20 Shares of STs in Land Holding and Cultivated Land in DPIP Districts

Annexure21 Land Ownership by Social categories in Sample Districts of operational holdings 2000 – 2001

Annexure22 Tribal BPL Families in DPIP districts of MP

Annexure 23 TSP / MADA / Clusters in DPIP Districts

Annexure 24 Community Based Institutional Structure proposed under MPDPIP-II

Annexure 25 Demographic Profile of the DPIP Districts and the state as per census 2001

Annexure 26 Livelihood Matrix village Chilwaha, Raisen

Annexure26 a Information of Institutions

Annexure27 The Gender related development idex of Madhya Pradesh 2001

Annexure 28: Socio-Economic Map, Village Bhilampur, Damoh

Annexure 29 Socio-Economic Map, Village Dhonda, Damoh

Annexure 30 Socio-Economic Map, Village Pateriamal, Damoh

Annexure 31 Socio Economic Map, Village Chilwaha , Raisen

Annexure 32 Socio Economic Map, Village Juniya, District Raisen

The Madhya Pradesh DPIP II

1Introduction

The Bank has been supporting a limited number of poverty reduction projects in Madhya Pradesh over the last decade, most recently the MP-District Poverty Initiatives Project (MP-DPIP). This project covered over 2,900 villages spread over 14 districts (out of a total of 48 districts). Through a systematic process of wealth ranking, it has covered over 300,000 poor rural households organizing them into over 52,000 Common Interest Groups (CIGs), providing them with financial and technical assistance so as to improve their organizational capacity and maximize the utility of their productive assets.

A recently conducted impact evaluation of the project showed that the project achieved significant results namely a) raised CIG household income by 53% on average; b) households growing two crops a year increased by 46%; and c) reduced distress migration to 14% from 30%. The other positive lessons from implementation of the MP-DPIP include excellent targeting of the intended poor, particularly women and lower caste households, empowered community groups, which are now sustainable through federating into producer companies/cooperatives, and leveraging resources directly through business linkages with public and private sectors.

In this context, the Government has approached the Bank to continue support through a follow-on project which will scale-up the successful results from the first MP-DPIP. This is proposed to be done by adopting the methodologies and design features of the MP-DPIP, including: a participatory wealth ranking process to identify the very poor in rural areas; the formation of groups at the neighborhood level to take-up economic activities; and the federation of such groups and linking them to the private sector to reap the benefits of sustained markets.

The GoMP has shown a strong commitment to adopt and scale-up the success of the MP-DPIP through a series of decisions at the state level that include: a) the adoption of a state rural development policy; b) the key design elements of community empowerment components, such as SHG formation and enhanced skill development for the rural poor; c) continued operations of the State-level autonomous Society called the MP Poverty Alleviation Initiatives Society as a special vehicle for implementing the proposed project; and d) appointment of the MP-DPIP Project Director as Project Coordinator and expanding the state-level team of development professionals for the proposed program.

2Social Assessment

District Poverty Initiatives Programme-I intervened in 2900 villages in 53 development blocks of 14 districts of the state. The project, prior to the beginning of the phase-I, underwent an extensive study to do the social assessment of the people residing in the target villages. The study was conducted in 55 villages of DPIP-I. The intensive study of each village enumerated the actual status of the livelihoods availability in the village, opportunities and gaps, the socio-cultural structure, poverty as perceived by the people, marginalisation, oppression, economic status and vulnerability etc. Only, since the study was conducted in the year 2000, a social assessment again was needed to verify and update the previous findings.

2.1Objectives of the Social Assessment

To develop an understanding about the strategy of social inclusion intervention for the proposed project through the following:

Understand and document the resources, the social relationships, the caste and power structures and the people's sense of well being and their perceived needs.

Make a general understanding of poverty – its incidence, types, its extent and degree – with its manifestation, and situate it against the districts and the state.

Understand the constraints and opportunities for livelihood promotion vis-à-vis the sectoral growth and emerging opportunities in the state.

2.2Framework of Analysis

The field based study was carried out in ten villages from the ten development blocks in four districts selected out of the 14 districts where the DPIP will work in its second phase aswell. The village selection was based on its demographic and ethnic composition. This report is based on the collation and analysis of village reports of these sample villages.

The focus of this report is on:

  • identifying vulnerable/disadvantaged groups,
  • analysis of the livelihoods of the identified groups
  • understanding the causes and extent of their poverty and
  • Suggesting sustainable mechanisms forpromoting their livelihoods.

Through this report an attempt has been made to provide a glimpse into the gamut and degree of poverty in projectarea prior to the actual implementation of DPIP phase -II.Finally this social assessment may help in developing an understanding about the strategy of intervention for the proposed District Poverty Initiatives Project in the 14 districts in phase - II with special emphasis on poor and the ultra poor i.e. the Schedule Tribes and Women residing in the project intervention area.

2.3Methodology

The over all process of social assessment has been done on the basis of secondary and primary data analysis and other studies as stated under:

2.3.1Secondary data analysis:

The report has substantially benefited from various secondary sources, in terms of data and information as well as in perspectives on poverty, livelihoods, tribal issues, social exclusion, gender and various development schemes and programs of the state and the private sector, including the civil society organizations. The report is also based on data, information and learning from the DPIP Phase 1. It has benefited from inputs and suggestions provided by the project staff that has been with the DPIP since its Phase 1 days. Data and information came, largely from the Census of 2001, the Madhya Pradesh Human Development Reports – 2002 and 2007, Economic Survey, 2007-08; Annual Reports of various departments and ministries, particularly the Tribal Development Department, SC & ST Welfare Department and the Panchayat & Rural Development Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP).

2.3.2Primary data analysis

Primary data and information emerged from the participatory field exercises carried out in the ten sample villages from the 4 districts of the project area. The primary sources included, Observation Methodology, Participatory Rural appraisal and Questionnaire based House-Hold survey for the chosen sample.

The village PRA process was initiated witha 2 day-schedule, beginning with the transect walk followed by general group discussions with villagers and focus group discussion (FGD) with the identified vulnerable group like ST, SC and OBC community members. The team also had a FGD with the women exclusively to identify gender issues. A village profile was prepared having social and resource map. It was ensured that the overall process is extremely participatory. The institutional/stakeholder analysis and livelihood analysis of the village were critical components of the study and analysis.

Table: Tools used for data collection

Tool employed / Key Information
Transact Analysis / To ascertain the configuration of the hamlets and the distribution of the natural and the man made resources with respect to the different communities in the village.
Social and Resource Mapping / Caste wise distribution of the resources like irrigated and non-irrigated land, livestock, population, drinking water resources, water resources for irrigation, forest and number of households. Education, the general topography and settlement pattern of the village. Man made structures like schools, Anganwadi, etc.
Focused Group Discussions / To identify different economic groups in the village and to enumerate the characteristics and features of the groups. To ascertain the activities and enterprises that could be undertaken in the areas. To ascertain the state of health and to understand the status of women in the village and to gain an understanding of the gender related issues
Limited House Hold Survey / A questionnaire based limited household survey was also done to have the exact financial status, the resources, the assets and events of shocks and measures as adopted by them.
Institutional Analysis / To assess the villagers’ perception of the services that they receive from various government and the non-government service providers and institutions.
Livelihood Analysis / To identify the livelihood options available with the villages round the year.
Case Studies / To obtain a deeper understanding of the economic life of the identified economic group that the household (of which the case study has been done) represents.

2.3.3Consultations

The social assessment of the poor and the vulnerable group would be insufficient or hypothetical, ignoring consultations with the stake holders. Therefore consultations at all levels was carried out, beginning form the target community itself, the PRIs and the local administration, various government departments and the NGOs actively involved in the rural development work so as to know their perception about poverty and possible solutions for sustainable livelihood.

2.4Selection of the sample

The District Poverty Initiatives Project-II is proposed in the same districts of phase –I and in the same development blocks only with extended coverage in the number of villages.Therefore for this social assessment, 4 districts out of same 14 project district were selected.

Ten Villages were selected to update the social assessment, having 3 villages of DPIP-I and 7 new villages. The villages were selected on the basis of following two criteria:

2.5Necessary condition:

The village population have more then 30% combined population of ST and SC

Each village was selected from different cluster or pocket within the district.

2.5.1Optional condition:

The Gender Ratio and female literacy in the Village is less then the state average


3Overview of the state and study area

Madhya Pradesh is located between latitude 21°04'N and longitude 74°02' and 82°49' E, having a land area of 308,144km. The State comprises of 9.38 per cent of India’s landmass and 60,385,118million people (2001 census) with a growth rate of nearly two percent. The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes constitute a significant portion of the population of the State. The scheduled castes are 15.4 % while scheduled tribes are 20.3% of the total population. Around seventy-five percent of the population is rural. Agriculture accounts for over 78% of all employment, though the total contribution of forestry and agriculture to the State’s development product has declined from 56% in 1981 to around 35% presently.

Madhya Pradesh is a medley of races and tribes, castes and communities. Itincludes primitive aborigines, as well as highly educated modern. They belong mainly to two racial groups. The people of northern area and Narmada Valley are mostly of the Aryan race, while a large portion of tribal people of south and east Madhya Pradesh. According to census of 2001, 91.1% followHindu religion while others are Muslim(6.40%), Jain(0.9%), Christians(0.30%), Buddhists(0.30%), and Sikhs(0.20%).

Over 60 million people reside in Madhya Pradesh (MP) as per 2001 census, among whom 37.1 % are poor (head count ratio). In other words, 22 million people or 40 lakh families, live below poverty line, making MP one of the poorest states in India -per capita income in 2003-04, was mere Rs. 8,284 or Rs. 31 per day (less than $ 1/Day). State economy is in a low equilibrium, providing fewer opportunities for people to graduate out of poverty.

3.1Multi-dimensional Aspects of Poverty: Social exclusion, literacy, health and basic amenities

Madhya Pradesh has a very high concentration of the socially excluded and marginalized social groups of the scheduled tribes (STs) and the scheduled castes (SCs). The scheduled tribes constitute about 20.27 per cent of MP’s population (as against the all India average of 8 per cent), and the scheduled castes constitute nearly 15 per cent of the population (more or less at par with the national average). Thus, taken together, these socially excluded groups constitute close to 35 per cent of the state’s population. The BPL survey 2002-03 showed that out of the total 95.40 lakh families surveyed 40.8 lakh (43%) were found BPL. Out of the total BPL families the Schedule Caste families were 22% and the Scheduled Tribes were 35%.

3.1.1Literacy:Education show significant group differences. Literacy rate of the SC and ST is 58.6 and 41.2 whereas the total crude literacy rate of Madhya Pradesh is 63.7.Similarly a gender gap is also evident in the literacy in social groups’ for instance female literacy in SC and ST is 43.3 and 28.4 whereas that of males is 72.3 and 53.5. Refer Annexure 3 for data on Gender and literacy by social group in the sample districts and state. As per the Madhya Pradesh Human Development Report (HDR), 2007 total percentage of illiterates in population 15 years and above in rural areas is 48.3%, total illiterate males are 31.5% and illiterate females is 66.5%. The total number of primary schools in MP is 81335 however the number of middle schools is quite low at 24293.