Poverty Reduction by Decentralisation: A Case for Rural Panchyats in Tamil Nadu

An attempt has been made in this paper to study the linkage between decentralisation and poverty reduction with special reference to panchayati raj institutions in Tamil Nadu. The policy implication of the study emphasises that the process of decentralisation should be designed and implemented so as to achieve required reduction in poverty. In the globalised era, decentralization has attracted significant interest in recent years. Decentralization is being seen as one of the missing institutional link between economic growth and distributive justice. Decentralisation is linked to poverty reduction in many ways. While decentralization has become a development strategy of many developing countries, its linkage to poverty reduction in particular has been the subject of recent time. In India, where social and rural sector are still backward and further affected by the ongoing liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation process, even high growth rates and innumerable poverty eradication schemes of the union as well as the state governments have failed to ensure distributive justice and left millions in sustained deprivation. Panchayati raj institutions could be a promising institutional link to combat poverty in terms of efficient designing and effective targeting.Poverty Reduction; Decentralisation; Rural Panchayats; Tamil Nadu

New approach to planning in Tamil Nadu: Targeting the growth process

Achieving a high growth rate as well as a desirable level of income distribution is a goal that continues to be elusive in India. Thus, the maiden approach of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission to place importance on the `growth process', alongside the growth rate, is interesting and appropriate.Planning - Social Sector - Growth Process -

Federal Transfers and the Tax efforts of the States in India

The paper has examined the the impact of federal fiscal transfers on the budget of the state (sub-central) governments in India. The relationship between the federal fiscal transfers and the tax efforts of the 14 major Indian states have been anlysed for fifteen years (from 1970-71 to 1984-85)through a panel dadat set. Fixed efeect model and its variants have been employed. The study found that the federal transfers have dampaned the tax efforts of states in India. Hence, a hiher weightaege for the 'tax effort criterion' has been suggested in the vertical devolution formula of the Indian Finance Commission to ensure efficiency.Federal Transfers; Tax Efforts; Fiscal Federalism in India; Efficiency; Vertical fiscal balance

Impact of National Food Security Mission on Farmers Livelihood in Tamil Nadu

In order to combat the challenge of deficit in food availability, the Government of India launched National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 2007-08. The main objective is to achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrains production to improve livelihood of the people. Rice, wheat and pulses are given high priority in the process of production by the Union and State Governments. In Tamil Nadu, only 25 per cent of the districts (8 districts) where rice cultivation is predominant have implemented the scheme. After the implementation of the NFSM scheme, there has been significant improvement in the farmer’s life. NFSM beneficiaries are in a better position with improved performance in terms of input use, production, productivity in comparison with that of the Non-NFSM farmers. Further, many of the selected villages in the study area are yet to satisfy the existing coverage norms. The farmers are not well equipped with adequate farm materials like cono weeder, multiple planters, power weeder, pump sets, sprayers and power tillers as they have not been provided with them under the scheme. They have been given only a limited support like the provision of seeds and inputs. Besides, there is widespread intra-district disparity in terms of subsidy and benefits distributed

Study on tourism industry and infrastructure development in the post-war peace-building initiatives in Ampara district

In a post-war country, tourism has the potential to not only contribute to economic growth and physical reconstruction, but also to sustainable development, affirmative action and the protection of vulnerable groups to promote their livelihood. Although, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LITE) frightened the Government of Sri Lanka with their demand for a separate home land in the Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, they were militarily defeated in the east of the country in July 2007. The Eastern Province comprised of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Districts (Eastern Revival: http://www.neweast.lk). This study covers the Ampara district which is the Southern Part of the Eastern Province. This is one of the attractive places for tourism in the Island. The tourism industry of the region has been greatly affected by the civil war and also by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami Disaster. These tragic disasters contributed to insecurity, and, the loss of natural as well as man-made resources such as infrastructure, disruption of service and loss of livelihood. However, the perception of the insecurity since the civil war has been a strong deterrent for local and foreign tourists. Nevertheless, Total tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka were 494,000 and it brought Rs.42, 571mn to this sector in 2007. This is 1.9 percent to the GDP and 3.19 percent to the service sector in the same year. This study is an attempt to analyze how tourism industry fosters the ongoing post-war peace-building process in the region and to identify how and to what extend tourism activities and improvement of infrastructure facilities contribute in the socio-economic foundation of the district in the basis of peace-building. This is a descriptive analysis with the use of primary and secondary data sources. Primary data collected from hotel and restaurant owners, public in Potuvil, Arugambay and other parts of the district Secondary data is collected from Divisional Secretaries, planning division of district secretariat, and District Secretariat Office (Kacheri), Ampara. The Finding shows that die arrival of local and foreign tourists have significantly increased in this district This situation also leads to develop infrastructure such as road, hotel and other facilities. According to the findings, the tourism development of this district paves the way to the peace building and development not only in this district but also in the Island

Poverty Reduction by Decentralisation: A Case for Rural Panchyats in Tamil Nadu

An attempt has been made in this paper to study the linkage between decentralisation and poverty reduction with special reference to panchayati raj institutions in Tamil Nadu. The policy implication of the study emphasises that the process of decentralisation should be designed and implemented so as to achieve required reduction in poverty. In the globalised era, decentralization has attracted significant interest in recent years. Decentralization is being seen as one of the missing institutional link between economic growth and distributive justice. Decentralisation is linked to poverty reduction in many ways. While decentralization has become a development strategy of many developing countries, its linkage to poverty reduction in particular has been the subject of recent time. In India, where social and rural sector are still backward and further affected by the ongoing liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation process, even high growth rates and innumerable poverty eradication schemes of the union as well as the state governments have failed to ensure distributive justice and left millions in sustained deprivation. Panchayati raj institutions could be a promising institutional link to combat poverty in terms of efficient designing and effective targeting

New approach to planning in Tamil Nadu: Targeting the growth process

Achieving a high growth rate as well as a desirable level of income distribution is a goal that continues to be elusive in India. Thus, the maiden approach of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission to place importance on the `growth process', alongside the growth rate, is interesting and appropriate

Effect of timing and graded levels of nitrogen and potassium in SRI cultivation

A field experiment was carried out at Annamalai University Experimental farm, Annamalai nagar, during Kuruvai and Navarai in the year 2008-09. To study the timing and graded levels of nitrogen and potassium in rice crop under SRI (System of rice intensification) cultivation. The experiment was laid out on deep clay soil by adopting randomized block design with factorial technique (FRBD). The results of field experiment revealed that the maximum growth and yield attributes were recorded in the treatment which received P2O5 as fully basal dose and nitrogen as three split doses viz., 50% basal and 25% each at tillering and panicle initiation stages. Potassium was applied as 33.3% K2O each at 15, 30 and 45 DAT. This treatment significantly recorded higher grain yield of 6278.7 kg ha-1 in field experiment – I and 6577.9 kg ha-1 in field experiment – II; and the straw yield of 7010.3 and 7309.7 kg ha-1 in field experiment I and II respectively. The shoot and grain uptake of nutrients (N, P and K) were high during 15, 30 and 45 DAT and at harvest which received 33.3 % K2O each at 15, 30 and 45 DAT