State |
Number of Households |
Women Headed
Households |
SC |
ST |
BC |
OBC |
Other |
AP |
4108 |
3.04% |
41.47% |
5.15% |
34.32% |
11.41% |
7.65% |
TN |
5705 |
3.61% |
14.78% |
0.12% |
65.43% |
6.44% |
13.24% |
Note: SC, ST, BC, OBC are scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Backward Caste, other Backward Caste, respectively. These are classifications defined by Central and State laws to ensure positive discrimination in terms of preferred subsidies, exemptions, reservations etc.
Requirements of women in agriculture
The results presented in the section above clearly reveal that the economically active women in the two districts belong to the following categories:
- Women who work as labourers
- Women who work with livestock
- Women who work in post harvest activities
Under this situation, all programmes offered by govt, NGOs and private sector should be aligned to meeting the requirements of these women, so that these could contribute to their livelihood activities and income.
Estimating the supply of programmes for meeting the needs of women in agriculture
Types of Programmes on Offer in TN and AP
The number and types of programmes currently being implemented in each of the project states is shown in the following Tables.
In Tamil Nadu, the major implementation agency is the Department of Agriculture, which runs many programmes in general. The Department has a single programme for women called Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture, Business and Extension (TANWABE). Under this scheme, 11,000 women were covered. The budget allocated was Rs. 5,000,000, for the year 2007-08 out of which the Department has spent only Rs. 2,200,000 in the current financial year.
The other governmental agencies working for women in Pudukkottai district are the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Mahalir Thittam, which is mainly facilitating the Self Help Groups (SHGs) which cover 1,00,000 women of this district. The Department of Fisheries in this district has specific programmes for fisherwomen such as National Savings cum Relief Scheme. The Department of Sericulture in both the project sites implements Catalytic Development Programmes, which mainly concentrates on women.
The private sector agencies working in the Pudukkottai district are EID Parry limited and Shriram Cirrus.
Table 9. Types of programmes being implemented in TN
State |
AgencyType |
Agency |
Programme
Title |
Coverage
Area
Unit |
Coverage
Area
Number |
Coverage
People
Unit |
Coverage
People
Number |
Current
Yr
Budget |
Current
Yr
Spent |
TN |
Govt |
Department of Fisheries |
National Savings cum Relief Scheme |
|
0 |
Women |
300 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Catalytic Development Programme |
Hectares |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
Dept.of Fisheries |
Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarojgar Yojana |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.234,000 |
TN |
Govt |
Dept.of Horticulture |
Integrated Horticulture Development Scheme and National Horticulture Mission |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
DRDA |
Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana |
Villages |
498 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
FTC |
Trainings |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.47,000 |
Rs.47,000 |
TN |
Govt |
JDA |
Agricultural Technology Management Services |
Districts |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.2,200,000 |
Rs. 2,007,000 |
TN |
Govt |
JDA |
Integrated Cereal Development Progrmme |
Hectares |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.28,000,000 |
Rs. 21,380,000 |
TN |
Govt |
JDA |
Integrated Cotton Development Programme |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
JDA |
Integrated Scheme on oilseeds, pulses, oilpalm and maize |
Districts |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.36,831,000 |
Rs. 27,494,000 |
TN |
Govt |
JDA |
TamilNadu Women in Agriculture, Business and Extension |
Districts |
0 |
Women |
11000 |
Rs.5,000,000 |
Rs. 2,200,000 |
TN |
Govt |
KVK |
Trainings |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
Mahalir Thittam |
Facilitation of SHGs |
Villages |
0 |
Women |
100000 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
TANUVAS |
Assistance to State for control of Animal Diseases |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
Govt |
TANUVAS |
Kalnadai Pathukappu Thittam |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
NGO |
CARE |
Farmers Federation Societies |
Districts |
3 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
TN |
PvtSect |
CORAMANDEL |
Awareness programmes |
Districts |
31 |
Farmers |
0 |
Rs.50,000 |
Rs.26,000 |
TN |
PvtSect |
Shriram Cirrus |
Micro Finance |
Villages |
0 |
Persons |
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
72 128000 |
53 388000 |
Table 10. Types of programmes being implemented in AP
State |
Agency Type |
Agency |
Programme
Title |
CoverageArea
Unit |
Coverage
Area
Number |
Coverage
People
Unit |
Coverage
People
Number |
Current
Yr
Budget |
Current
Yr
Spent |
AP |
Govt |
Commission erate of Rural Development |
District Water Mangement Agency |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Rythu Chaitanya Yatra |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. 473,000 |
Rs. 446,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agri |
Macro Mangement-SRI and Trainings |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. 546,000 |
Rs. 184,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agri |
Mini Mission-II |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.351,000 |
Rs. 631,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Adarsa Rythu |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. 4,532,000 |
Rs. 4, 440,900 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Agricultural Technology Management Services |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. ,200,000 |
Rs. 1, 535,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Extension and Training of Farmers |
Districts |
0 |
Farmers |
25000 |
Rs.765,000 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Farm Mechanisation |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.50,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Full Package Demonstration |
Hectares |
3600 |
Farmers |
0 |
Rs. 3,026,000 |
Rs. 5, 782,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Integrated Scheme on oilseeds, Pulses ,oilpalm and Maize |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. 606,000 |
Rs. ,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Integrated Scheme on Oilseeds, Pulses, oilpalm and Maize |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.41,000 |
Rs.32,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Integrated Scheme on Oilseeds,Pulses,Oilpalm and Maize |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.439,000 |
Rs. 439,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Organic Farming |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs. 1,561,000 |
Rs. 607,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Polambadi |
Hectares |
0 |
Farmers |
0 |
Rs. 2,582,000 |
Rs. 2,360,000 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Agriculture |
Rythu Sadassu |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.15,020 |
Rs.15,020 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Animal Husbandry |
Chief Minister's Relief Package |
|
0 |
Women |
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Animal Husbandry |
Chief Minister's Relief Package |
|
0 |
Women |
2000 |
|
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Animal Husbandry |
Oestrus Synchronisation in Buffaloes |
Sub Districts |
0 |
Persons |
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Animal Husbandry |
Supply of Haryana Breeds |
|
0 |
Women Headed HH |
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Dept.of Sericulture |
Catalytic Development Programme |
Hectares |
1240 |
Women |
980 |
Rs. 35,900,000 |
Rs. 23, 200,000 |
AP |
Govt |
DISTRICT Water Management Agency |
Watersheds |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
DoH |
Area expansion under plantations of fruit trees |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
DRDA |
Indra Kranthi Pathakam |
Habi tations |
0 |
Women |
500000 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
DRDA-IKP |
IKP-LABS Training Programme |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
DWMA |
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
Govt |
Krishi Vigyan Kendra |
Trainings |
Districts |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
NGO |
ASSIST |
Empowerment of fishermen |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
NGO |
PRERNA |
Integrated Pest Management |
|
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
NGO |
SNIRD |
Mutually Aided Co-operative Thrift Societies |
Villages |
25 |
Women |
1500 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
PvtSect |
COROMANDEL |
Cheyyutha Programme |
|
0 |
Farmers |
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
AP |
PvtSect |
Godavari Fertlisers |
Farmers Meetings |
|
0 |
Farmers |
0 |
Rs.100,000 |
Rs.100,000 |
AP |
PvtSect |
Shriram-CIRRUS |
Micro Finance |
Villages |
0 |
|
0 |
Rs.0 |
Rs.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
|
53 137020 |
40 236920 |
Note: These figures are fragmented not complete and do not present the whole picture. The project found it extremely difficult even to obtain the basic data. Government officers are unwilling to disclose information on their programmes and operations. We have used these figures on an “as available, as disclosed basis”, taking no responsibility for completeness or accuracy.
In AP, the implementation agencies include Government, NGOs and private sectors but their density is low. The Department of Agriculture is the major implementing agency in the district. It implements many schemes in general, and it has a Gender Cell, specifically for women, which mainly concentrates on distribution of tools and implements to farm women groups for drudgery reduction in agriculture and to improve the work efficiency. (e.g., seed treating drum, star weeder, cono weeder and improved sickles). This work falls under the banner of ‘Farm Women Empowerment Programme’. The tools/ implements are distributed free to the women groups (100% subsidised). In the year 2006-07, farm implements were supplied to women under this scheme, for an amount of Rs. 1, 28,144.
Private sector, such as the fertilizer companies (e.g., Coramandel and Godavari Fertlisers Limited), is conducting farmers’ meetings at regular intervals to offer their services. The Shriram Cirrus is a micro-finance agency working in Prakasam district extending micro credit to SHGs. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is being implemented by the district Water Management Agency in many villages. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra is offering trainings to the women in the area on various income generation activities (not linked to any market).
The noted NGOs working in the project area related to agriculture are ASSIST, PRERNA, SNIRD and EFFORT. They have their own specific mandates on women development programmes and these programmes have no convergence with the government programmes.
Analysis of availability of programme funds
|
An analysis of the efficiency and availability of programme funds in the states was calculated. This was done as described below:
In TN’s Pudukkottai district, as per the district statistics database, there are 7,24,300 men and 7,35,301 women. Of these women, approximately half of them are considered economically active. i.e. 3,67,651 women. The budget allotted under various schemes as seen in Table 11 amounted to Rs. 7,21,28,000 and the amount spent so far this year was Rs. 53 88 000. The financial year in India runs from 1 April to 31 March and it applies to most programmes.
Out of the total funds allocated by the government programmes, NGOs and Private sector in Pudukkottai district, it can be calculated: dividing the budget by the population of economically active women, that the amount of money available to each woman in the district is only Rs. 196 per year and the actual amount delivered this year is a meagre Rs 145 so far this year.
In AP’s Prakasam district, as per the district statistics database, there are 1552000 men and 1507000 women. Of these women approximately half of them are considered to be economically active. i.e. 753500 women. The budget allotted under various schemes as seen in Table 11 amounted to Rs. 53,137,020 and the amount spent so far this year was Rs. 40,236,920
Out of the total funds allocated by the government programmes, NGOs and private sector in Prakasam district, it can be calculated: dividing the budget by the population of economically active women, that that the amount of money available to each woman in the district is only Rs. 70 per year. The actual amount delivered this year is a meagre Rs. 53. |
Table 11. Budget allocated to women in Prakasam and Pudukkottai
|
|
State |
Dist Bdgt |
Bug spent this year |
Per econ active women per Yr |
Delivered Per Econ active Women thisYr |
AP |
Rs 53,137,020.00 |
Rs 40236920 |
Rs 70. |
Rs. 53 |
TN |
Rs. 72,128,000.00 |
Rs 53388000 |
Rs 196. |
Rs. 145 |
|
Analysis of programmes specifically for women
In Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, the amount of funds allotted to Programmes specifically for women wasRs 35,900,000 out of which they have spent Rs 23,200,000. By dividing this budget by the number of economically active women in the district i.e. 753500 women, the resultant figure indicates that Rs 48 is available for each economically active women per year and the amount spent so far this year is Rs 31.
In Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu, the budget allotted to Programmes specifically for women was Rs 5,000,000 and the amount spent was Rs 2,200,000. The financial year in India runs from 01 April to 31 March and it applies to most programmes. By dividing this budget by the number of economically active women in the district 36 7651 women, the resultant figure indicates that Rs 14 is available for each women per year and the amount spent so far is Rs 6.
Thus at a glance the figures are shown in Tables 12 and 13 presented below (2007-2008)
Table 12. Women Specific Programme Budgets in Prakasam and Pudukkottai
|
|
State |
Dist |
M |
F |
Bdgt |
Spent this year |
AP |
Prakasam |
1552000 |
1507000 |
Rs 35,900,000.00 |
Rs 23,200,000.00 |
TN |
Pudukkottai |
724300 |
735301 |
Rs 5,000,000.00 |
Rs 2,200,000.00 |
|
Table 13. Budget allocated to women via Women Specific Programmes in Prakasam and Pudukkottai
|
|
State |
Dist Bdgt |
Budg spent this year |
Per Woman Per Yr |
Delivered Women Per Yr |
AP |
Rs35,900,000.00 |
Rs 23200000 |
Rs. 48 |
Rs. 31 |
TN |
Rs5,000,000.00 |
Rs 2200000 |
Rs. 14 |
Rs. 6 |
|
The results of our study indicate that the men are actually no better off in terms of allocation of budgets. The total funds available in proportion to women are almost as low for men as for women. Even if all programme funds were to be diverted only to women, (which we are not arguing for), the ratios are abysmally low, and there is no hope whatsoever that poverty can be addressed on any significant scale.
|
|