Question : Rural Consumption and Consumer Spending

(a) whether there has been a decline in rural consumption and consumer spending has declined on an average over 11 percent in last two years growth both for vegetables and commodity which is the lowest during last 7 years;

(b) whether the Government has attempted to assess the reasons therefor;

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therein;

(d) the measures being taken by the Government to increase rural consumption thereto; and

(e) whether any report or survey has indicated that the rural Indians brought less of all food products barring milk and milk-related items thereof and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING [RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) to (e): The Household Consumer Expenditure Surveys conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) generate estimates of household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) and provide distribution of households and persons over the MPCE classes. These surveys are designed to collect information regarding expenditure on consumption of goods (food and non-food) and services consumed by households.

The Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) in rural areas separately for Food (including vegetables) and Non-Food items from Household Consumer Expenditure Surveys conducted during 2009-10 and 2011-12 are given below:

category 2009-10 2011-12

food MPCE 600.36 756.49
(vegetable MPCE) 87.33 94.62

non-food MPCE 453.29 673.47

total MPCE 1053.65 1429.96

Source: NSS Report No. 538: Level and Pattern of Consumer Expenditure, 2009-10
NSS Report No. 555: Level and Pattern of Consumer Expenditure, 2011-12

The Government of India is undertaking a number of interventions for integrated and sustainable rural development through employment generation, strengthening of livelihood opportunities, promoting self-employment, skilling of rural youths, provision of social assistance, infrastructure development etc. The schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deen dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyay – Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RuRBAN Mission, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) among others are being implemented in the country.

*****