Question : EXODUS OF RURAL POPULATION



(a) whether exodus of rural population is going on fast towards cities;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the reasons therefor; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government to check the fast increasing exodus of rural population to urban areas ?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT(SHRIMATI SURYAKANTA PATIL)

(a)&(b) Yes, Sir. Rural to Urban migration is a characteristic of a developing economy. The Ministry of Rural Development has not conducted any survey about the exodus of rural population towards cities. However, available estimates of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) reveal that during the period 1983-2000 the percentage of male migrants to total population remained constant at about 7% for rural areas.

(c) The reasons of the exodus of the rural population is on account of various socio economic factors including better employment oppournities and living standard.

(d) The Ministry of Rural Development through the State Governments implements three major schemes namely the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), the National Food for Work Programme (NFWWP) and the Swarnjayanti Gram Swaroszgar Yojana (SGSY) to provide wage and self employment to the members of rural families living below the poverty line in all the rural areas of the country except Chandigarh and Delhi. These schemes have been designed to provide employment to the rural poor in their villages or nearby villages so that migration of such people from rural to urban areas could be reduced.