Is Poverty Coming Down?
Ulka Mahajan https://youtu.be/_4nXmmcQjZQ set the Keynote to the press Conference to present the preliminary result of the Hunger Watch II Survey along with the recommendations to ensure universal access to food and expanded entitlements.
Ulka asked people to examine how the notions of "ease of doing business" and "New India" has impacted the toiling people of this country
The Universe is Vulnerable People
Household Survey - Post 2nd COVID Wave of Vulnerable People https://youtu.be/Qw5AwICKk8Y Mukta tell us about the selection of already vulnerable people slected for the second wave of COVID as well as lockdown spelt disaster. The sample over 17 districts will be sufficient to tell us whether the stories of destitution we hear, are isolated case and whether the phenomemna calls for policy and administrative sensitivity, which go beyond macro-economic analysis that are being brandies about these days to justify and gloss over the essense of the social contract between State and Ctizens.. with special attention/disdain for the most vulnerable.
Social Findings
Post 2nd Wave Findings of Household Survey of Vulnerable people: Mukta Srivastava https://youtu.be/Tr_m83VH4Uk
the big concerns as per Hunger Watch II?
● Income shock:
● Outstanding Debt:
● Unpaid Rent:
● Poor food intake:
● Poor diet quality:
● Access to Government Programmes:
Government Schemes
Ulka Mahajan on Access to Government Schemes, and their Effectiveness post 2nd COVID Wave https://youtu.be/Qw5AwICKk8Y (4 mins)
Ulka Mahajan presented the Surveys assessment of the Access to Government Programmes. She said Some government schemes seem to have performed well. Safety nets like PDS have been a great relief for poor communities. 86% of the households received ration from PDS. Overall in the state 14% of the eligible households could not receive ration due to technical issues, cancellation of ration cards etc. Although about 90 % of eligible HH reported that they received ration under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) yet only 61% HH reported that they received ration under PMGKAY every month. In urban areas only 50% HH received ration under this scheme every month as compared to 70% in rural areas.
Summary & Demands
Nitin Kubal of Anna Adhikar Abhiyan , Maharashtra https://youtu.be/k9QLPTmvJ8M Summarised the Findings, and spelt out the minimum demands.
Important in time of emergency and distress that the State is does not make make matters worse for affected peopleby being legalistic about rules and procedures, as they have shown by cancelling a few ration cards, and not making arrangements for extra cash flow for basic development and food security programmes.
From the Ground
Utsa Khan https://youtu.be/RzO79PMSIO8 tells a story of a COVID widowed woman in a Chembur slum, who went into mental depression as she could only see destitution with her three kids. She didnt even get the ration nor water. We have to go house to house to understand and be able to do something about such situations. State should see what can be done for children orphaned due to COVID.. Since they cannot work and earn a living.. as minors,
Yasmin from Awaz e Miswan https://youtu.be/Vn_AqbdZt1k their organisation took up the areas of Kurgain and Mumbra for survey under the Anna Adhikari Abhiyan Survey. In the muslim areas, we have seen that people doing small business like rickshaw driver or people who would put up small boxes to sell on the roads, had been totally without work during the lockdown. And since most people ie 80% live in rented accommodation, did not have any income in order to pay their rents. Even the so called landlords who rented out part of their premises, became vulnerable.
Mukta Srivastava: https://youtu.be/tpHE6JU5wRE What statistics wont reveal.. Mukta deviates from the power point to tell us what we didnt realise.. that when push comes to shove, many middle class strugglers also join the struggle.. ! Result Bhimnagar Rag Pickers could not get good waste to pick..
Anna Adhikar Abhiyan Maharashtra , its associates and friends and Right to Food campaign launched a ‘Hunger Watch II’ in December –Jan 2022 to track the situation of hunger amongst vulnerable and marginalized communities in different parts of Maharashtra in the context of the COVID pandemic. The study was conducted in 17 districts of Maharashtra,
see NDTV Report on the Survey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo9BIAjs42o
एक तरफ प्रधानमंत्री देश में गरीबी कम होने के दावे कर रहे हैं वहीं महाराष्ट्र में हुए एक सर्वे में सामने आया है कि लॉकडाउन के दौरान बेरोजगारी बढ़ी और लोगों का वेतन कम हो गया.
जिससे गरीबी और अधिक बढ़ गयी.
View in marathi - https://epaper.loksatta.com/m5/3501304/loksatta-pune/09-06-2022#page/7/1 This article was published in Marathi newspaper 'Loksatta' on 09/06/2022
" "या भुकेचे करायचे काय?" - उल्का महाजन