Review of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)

By Shashikant Nishant Sharma

The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) is an ambitious urban poverty alleviation program launched by the Government of India in December 1997. The scheme aims to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed, especially the urban poor, by encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of wage employment. This review delves into the objectives, structure, implementation, achievements, and challenges of the SJSRY, shedding light on its significance and impact on urban poverty alleviation.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the SJSRY are:

1. Alleviation of Urban Poverty: To provide sustainable employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed poor through skill development and entrepreneurial ventures.
2. Self-Employment Promotion: To support urban poor in setting up small enterprises through financial assistance, skill training, and infrastructural support.
3. Wage Employment: To create wage employment opportunities by providing support for the construction of community assets.
4. Empowerment of Women and Vulnerable Groups: To enhance the income-generating capacities of the urban poor, particularly women and other vulnerable sections of the society.

Structure of the Scheme

The SJSRY is structured around five key components:

1. Urban Self-Employment Programme (USEP): This component focuses on providing assistance to individuals or groups to set up self-employment ventures. It includes:
   • Individual Enterprises (Urban Poor): Financial support to individuals for starting small businesses.
   • Self-Help Groups (SHGs): Formation and support of SHGs for income-generating activities.
   • Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP): Providing training to enhance employability.
2. Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP): This component aims to provide wage employment through the creation of community assets like roads, drains, and parks in urban areas.
3. Urban Women Self-Help Programme (UWSP): Focused on empowering urban poor women by encouraging the formation of women SHGs and providing them with financial and technical support to start income-generating activities.
4. Urban Community Development Network (UCDN): This component seeks to promote community development by involving Community Development Societies (CDS) in planning and implementation.
5. Thrift and Credit Societies (T&CS): Encouraging savings and providing credit facilities to the urban poor.

Implementation

The implementation of SJSRY is decentralized, with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) overseeing the scheme at the national level. At the state level, the Department of Urban Development is responsible, and at the urban local body (ULB) level, it is implemented through Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Nagar Panchayats.

The process involves:

1. Identification of Beneficiaries: The urban poor are identified through surveys and community participation.
2. Training and Capacity Building: Beneficiaries are provided with skill training and capacity-building programs.
3. Financial Support: Financial assistance is provided in the form of subsidies and loans.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation: Regular monitoring and evaluation are conducted to ensure effective implementation and to address challenges.

Achievements

Since its inception, the SJSRY has made significant strides in urban poverty alleviation:

1. Employment Generation: The scheme has created numerous self-employment and wage employment opportunities for the urban poor.
2. Empowerment of Women: Through the formation of SHGs, many urban poor women have gained financial independence and improved their social status.
3. Skill Development: The STEP-UP component has enhanced the employability of many urban poor through skill training.
4. Community Development: The UCDN component has fostered community participation and development.

Challenges

Despite its successes, the SJSRY faces several challenges:

1. Awareness and Outreach: Limited awareness among the urban poor about the scheme’s benefits and provisions.
2. Financial Inclusion: Difficulty in accessing financial services and credit facilities.
3. Sustainability of Ventures: Ensuring the sustainability of self-employment ventures remains a challenge.
4. Infrastructure and Capacity: Inadequate infrastructure and capacity at the ULB level hinder effective implementation.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation: Lack of robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and address issues promptly.

Conclusion

The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) has been instrumental in addressing urban poverty by providing employment opportunities and empowering the urban poor, particularly women. While the scheme has achieved significant success, addressing the challenges through improved awareness, financial inclusion, sustainable ventures, better infrastructure, and robust monitoring is crucial for its continued effectiveness. The SJSRY remains a vital component of India’s urban poverty alleviation strategy, reflecting the government’s commitment to creating an inclusive and sustainable urban economy.

References

Reddy, S. I. (2015). RATIONALE OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 76(3), 611-614.

Rajkonwar, A. B. (2005). Swama Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana: A study on effectiveness in Dibrugarh. SEDME (Small Enterprises Development, Management & Extension Journal), 32(4), 23-42.

Shah, G., Joshi, A., Prasad, P. N., Chettiparamb, A., Sekher, M., Kumar, M., … & Mathur, N. (2010). The globalizing state, public services and the new governance of urban local communities in India: A colloquium. Vikalpa, 35(1), 75-106.

Sharma, S. N. (2020). A Review of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana. Think India Journal, 23(1), 26-32.

Surappa, M. K. (2013). India’s ranking in materials research. Current Science, 105(2), 147-149.