Social security programs : a study of Chamarajanagar district

Abstract

The objective of article 41 of the Indian Constitution is to achieve social justice newlineand economic equality. Accordingly appropriate social assistance programmes are newlinedeveloped to protect the vulnerable people viz. Old Age Pension, Destitute Widow newlinePension and Physically Handicapped Pension, National Family Benefit Scheme, etc. newlineThere are complaints that some people are receiving pensions while others are not able to newlineget the assistance. Those who get the benefit, they get for a price and those who cannot newlineafford will never get. Many are paid less pension. Hence, there is a strong necessity to newlinestudy the issues related to the implementation of the schemes and also suggest newlineappropriate remedies to the schemes. The study was undertaken in Chamarajanagar newlineDistrict, Karnataka State with the specific objectives and hypothesis. newlineA total of 792 samples were randomly selected under various sections spread over newline122 villages of four Taluks comprised of OAP (184), DWP (120), PHP (63), NFBS (45) newlinebeneficiaries and administered structured questionnaire on beneficiaries to cover various newlineaspects of the existing implementation system. Effort was also made to understand why newlinestill there are deprived potential beneficiaries (182 people). The implementing revenue newlineofficials (56) post office officials (21) operators of Nemmadi Kendra (8) and 109 village newlineleaders were also interviewed to have insight into the ground reality in a multipronged newlineway, which was supplemented by videography. In order to test the set objectives and newlinehypotheses simple statistical methods like frequency distribution, descriptive analysis and newlinechi-square methods are used. newlineThe main findings show the beneficiaries are illiterate (83.4%) and most of them newlinebelong to BPL category. SC and ST beneficiaries are predominantly depending on the newlinevii newlineassistance. Results reveal that people are not aware of the schemes and the procedure newlineinvolved. Their source of information is through the village leaders.