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Date of Publish: 2016-12-01

Asset poverty: 64.5 per cent rural households in Assam do not have any agricultural asset

 

Even though economy of Assam is predominately agrarian, 64.5 per cent rural households in Assam do not possess any agricultural assets including plough, bullock, carts, farm equipments etc. while 85.5 per cent households do not have any non-agricultural products including handlooms or power-looms etc. The Assam Human Development Report, 2014 has revealed these data. The HDR data also show that 23.8 per cent households do not have transport assets or mode of transportation including bicycle while 35.7 per cent households do not have any financial asset or insurance cover.

The Data also show disparities in various districts. In Dima Hasao district for example, 93 per cent households do not have any transport asset while the figure is only 8.4 in Jorhat district. In Darrang district 65.3 per cent households do not have any financial assets while the figure is 10.2 in Bongaigaon district.

District-wise data of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

DISTRICT No Agricultural Asset  No Non Agricultural Asset No transport Asset  No Household Appliance No Financial Asset 
BAKSA 65.8 72.7 11.6 23.5 40.1
BARPETA 68.9 93.2 14.5 27.8 33.7
BONGAIGAON 75.6 87.1 13.9 16 10.3
CACHAR 87.5 98.2 52.8 30 45.1
CHIRANG 58.5 89.2 8.7 15.3 17
DARRANG 69.6 94.2 31.1 45.2 64
DHEMAJI 41.6 67.1 24.5 20.2 50.1
DHUBRI 76.7 98 43.7 37.7 51.2
DIBRUGARH 76.3 81.9 15.7 18.4 20.3
DIMA HASAO 58.7 65.4 84.4 21.9 18.2
GOALPARA 62.3 91.3 18.4 27.5 27.7
GOLAGHAT 46.7 77.6 9.9 21 24.6
HAILAKANDI 80.7 99.3 71.2 25.5 31.3
JORHAT 65.2 76.4 9.8 19.5 15.5
KAMRUP 75.2 81.3 19.5 21.3 33.9
KAMRUP(M) 97 97.2 33.6 3.5 13.6
KARBI ANGLONG 59 79 16.3 18.3 26.5
KARIMGANJ 81.2 98.1 65.9 21.7 42.9
KOKRAJHAR 46.3 88.6 17.6 20.8 42.6
LAKHIMPUR 50.4 86.7 12.7 28.5 34.6
MARIGAON 49.2 70.6 20 34.4 61.7
NAGAON 70.9 93.1 12.4 22.8 26
NALBARI 88.2 63.8 16.2 16.3 17.1
SIBSAGAR 61.9 76.9 13.4 13 12.9
SONITPUR 64.7 86.6 12.7 24.8 33.1
TINSUKIA 73.7 90.5 24.5 25.2 35.1
UDALGURI 68.9 92.6 17.3 28.1 36.2
Assam  69.6 87.2 24.3 23.8 32.8

In spatial diversity category, 69.4 per cent households in Char Blocks, 67.1 per cent households in General Blocks, 66 per cent households in Tea-garden Blocks do not have any agricultural assets.

Spatial diversity data of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

Spatial Diversity  No Agricultural Asset  No Non Agricultural Asset No transport Asset  No Household Appliance No Financial Asset 

Char Blocks

 

69.4 24.4 36 91.1 42.5
Flood Affected Blocks 64.7 21.9 23.3 82.1 34.1
Hill Blocks  53.4 28.2 21.6 74.1 27
Tea gardenBlocks 66 18.1 24.1 85.3 28.7

 

Border Blocks

 

61.4 30.2 25.5 84 41.9
Multiple Diversity Blocks 60.6 31.4 34 87.9 42.1
General Blocks 67 15.6 23.1 86.6 25.7

 

 

In religion category, 72.5 per cent Muslims and 68.9 per cent Hindus do not have any agricultural assets.

Religion data of of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

Religion  No Agriculture Asset  No Non Agriculture  No transport Asset  No Household Appliance No Financial Asset 
Hindu  68.9 20.4 19.6 82.1 71.6
Muslim 72.5 33.6 32.5 98.4 84
Christian 56.7 20.1 20.1 91.6 85.7
Others 62.2 26.9 26.9 95.5 70.5

 

 

“While poverty measure through income and/or consumption levels are widely used and universally acknowledged, this is by no means and exhaustive measure, especially in developing societies, with multi-dimensional deprivations. As such, deprivations in other dimensions of standard of living such as lack of specific household assets, land ownership, proper housing, and housing amenities like electricity, drinking water, toilet etc, are also needed to be considered to assess the extent of deprivation and overall standard of living. It is believed that asset poverty reflects long-term poverty in a household” states the HDR.

The Assam HDR Survey, 2013 covered 39,998 households covering 187,511 individuals in 27 districts, 97 Blocks, 95 urban centres, 1972 villages of the state.

 

- nezine.com Editorial Bureau

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