Impact of Social Welfare Programmes on Household Food Security – An Economic Analysis in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Mahathma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is one of the major rural development programmes, which is being implemented in our country since 2006. It has been providing the steady income to the rural households, especially marginal, small famers and agricultural labour, especially during the lean season in agriculture. This paper has attempted to find out the household income, consumption expenditure on food and non-food items and calorie acquisition of the participants and non-participants of NREGS in Tamil Nadu. Further, it has measured the household nutrition security of the rural households. The results have revealed that the number of migrants in the family, number of livestock units owned, number of mandays employed in agriculture, non-agriculture and NREGS were significantly influenced by the household income of the participants and nonparticipants of NREGS. The analysis of household food security showed that the expenditure for all commodities, viz. leisure, cereals, pulses, oils, fruits and vegetables, milk, chicken, fish were positive and significant in the case of participants of NREGS whereas, the expenditure variable was significant only for two commodities, viz. cereals and oils in case of non-participants of NREGS. It clearly showed that the participants of NREGS are consuming more high value commodities like milk, chicken and fish when compared to NREGS nonparticipants due to their lack of income. The results of calorie acquisition of NREGS participants covered more than 85 per cent of the requirement of the average recommended calories per capita per day than NREGS non-participants (76 per cent). Hence, the NREGS participants consumed more calories due to relatively higher purchasing power. This development is due to availability of guaranteed employment and regular wages through NREGS to the rural households.