Poverty trap in real life

On 19th June, 2009, we visited a village near Chandigarh, Jhujhar Nagar. It is stuck in a poverty trap with low levels of literacy, hygiene, nutrition, incomes and knowledge. There is a collective action problem in solving the issues of the village. The village panchayat is famous for its infighting and funds are not used where they are meant to be. A young boy, Gautam and the Sarpanch expressed what they felt was wrong with the village.


• 75% of the young people in the village are addicted to drugs. These are basically Rs. 2 capsules that are available at the local medical stores and the unemployed youth have no other means of recreation it seems. They have no jobs, are uneducated, and after drugs, their chances of getting a job are reduced even further.
• There is only 1 government school in the village that is for elementary education.
• Pools of filth line the village. There is no proper sewage facility. Pigs are kept for being sold when they grow as meat to sustain their livelihoods.
• Diseases, especially of the skin, eye and the stomach abound. Polio drops also needed.
• Thefts are widespread (bicycles, taps, etc.)
• Alcoholism and consumption of bhang is common
• No will to make the village better
• Have got used to leading an idle life where standards of living are very low
• There are about 3500 families and the population is about 5000
• The Sarpanch is Iqbal Singh, a property dealer
• About 40% of the families live below the poverty line
• Ration cards are not made available for most residents by the state government – so they have to pay high prices for flour and bread and oil
• There is no bank branch in the village
• Sikligarh, a part of this village that has Sikh families who used to make weapons for the Sikh gurus are also living in inhuman conditions.
• They do repair work, ironsmiths
• There is no hospital or dispensary in the village.
• Most people work as labour or sell vegetables or phenyl, etc.
• Water is not very clean and there is a huge power shortage
Priorities:

- Sanitation (Removal of stagnant water)
- Distribution of mosquito nets to control malaria
- Drug de-addiction camps
- Dispensary
- Extra tuition for kids
- Vocational education courses for young adults (these would be needed for a task force and the vocational education courses can act as an incentive to make them work for other areas of the village)