Principles and Techniques of Veterinary and AH Extension

Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

SWARNAJAYANTHI GRAM SWAROZGAR YOJANA

• On 1 April 1999, the IRDP and allied programmes, including the Million Wells Scheme (MWS), were merged into a single programme known as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY).
• The SGSY is conceived as a holistic programme of micro enterprise development in rural areas with emphasis on organising the rural poor into self-help groups for capacity-building, planning of activity, infrastructure support, technology, credit and marketing linkages.
• It seeks to promote a network of agencies, namely, the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs), line departments of state governments, banks, NGOs and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for implementation of the programme.
• The SGSY recognizes the need to focus on key activities and the importance of activity clusters. The programme has in-built safeguards for the weaker sections. It insists that 50 per cent of the self-help groups must be formed exclusively by women and that 50 per cent of the benefits should flow to SCs and STs.

It is the merger of the following schemes

• IRDP: Integrated Rural Development Programme
• DWCRA: Development of Women And Children in Rural Areas
• TRYSEM: Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment
• SITRA: Supply of Improved Technical kits to Rural Areas
• GKY: Ganga Kalyan Yojana
• MWS: Million Wells Scheme
• Credit: 75:25 ( Centre : State )
• Aim: To establish large number of micro-enterprises in rural areas.
• Target group: Person assisted under this programme will be known as Swarozgaris, not beneficiaries as in IRDP. Group is Self Help Group (SHG).
• Principle of SGSY: Every family assisted by the scheme will be brought above the poverty line in three years and the programme aims at creating substantial additional income for rural poor.

General action

• It is proposed to cover 30% of rural poor in each block in 5 years.
• SGSY is a holistic programme of micro enterprises covering all the aspects of self employment, viz. organization of rural poor into SHG and their capacity building, planning of activity clusters, infrastructure buildup, technology, credit and marketing.
• SGSY lays emphasis on activity cluster based on the resources, occupational skills of the people and availability of markets, selection of key activities will be with the approval of panchayat samitis at the block level and the District Rural Development Agency / Zilla Parishad at the District level.
• Major share of SGSY assistance will be in activity clusters to enable extension of appropriate facilities.