Even as someone who routinely stresses the importance of access to credit this result still shocks and slightly freaks me out. Has politicians’ relentless drum-beating over the issue of credit to the agricultural sector created the impression that the government’s main function when it comes to the rural poor is to provide loans? If so, what effects has this had on the accountability of local governments for providing health, education, and other basic services?
Monday 7 January 2008
What India’s Poor Expect from their Government
No it’s not education, not health services, nor even subsidized alcohol. What the poor want and expect, above all, from their government is improved access to credit. According to a survey conducted by Outlook magazine of residents of India’s poorest district, Bolangir, Orissa, when asked “What is the one thing you want the government to do to radically change your life?” a plurality of respondents (47%) said “higher and cheaper loans.” The second most popular response, at 32%, was “help in agriculture.” Improvement in infrastructure and health services was rated as the most critical government objective by only 3% of respondents.
Even as someone who routinely stresses the importance of access to credit this result still shocks and slightly freaks me out. Has politicians’ relentless drum-beating over the issue of credit to the agricultural sector created the impression that the government’s main function when it comes to the rural poor is to provide loans? If so, what effects has this had on the accountability of local governments for providing health, education, and other basic services?
Even as someone who routinely stresses the importance of access to credit this result still shocks and slightly freaks me out. Has politicians’ relentless drum-beating over the issue of credit to the agricultural sector created the impression that the government’s main function when it comes to the rural poor is to provide loans? If so, what effects has this had on the accountability of local governments for providing health, education, and other basic services?
Labels:
agriculture,
alcohol,
infrastructure,
Orissa
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2 comments:
I disagree with the spirit of the article.
I am in micro finance and developmental lending for 3 decades.
But for the govt intervention the banks couldn't have borne the shock of bad loans written of so far.How the private micro finance agencies and all linked internet banking platforms can absorb the consumption component of the poor Indians?
They all work on the poor developmental financing as profit activity.They markup the cost of credit to maintain themselves.This has become an avenue of the employment of capital and labor of the rich.Earlier philanthropists released donations to poor.Now the western NGO out-fits and the local allies with them are releasing this amount as loans instead of donations. 60% will not come back
unless matching social interventions are there in all spheres of rural life.
Many Indians have started preaching rather than doing relevant activities.But for the PSU banks India cannot see one-step ahead in real development.All the NGO and microfin activities are a hype of emotional kind to keep themselves engaged.
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