Asset poverty: 64.5 per cent rural households in Assam do not have any agricultural asset

Even though economy of Assam is predominately agrarian, 64.5 per cent rural households in Assam do not possess any agricultural assets including plough, bullock, carts, farm equipments etc. while 85.5 per cent households do not have any non-agricultural products including handlooms or power-looms etc. The Assam Human Development Report, 2014 has revealed these data. The HDR data also show that 23.8 per cent households do not have transport assets or mode of transportation including bicycle while 35.7 per cent households do not have any financial asset or insurance cover.

The Data also show disparities in various districts. In Dima Hasao district for example, 93 per cent households do not have any transport asset while the figure is only 8.4 in Jorhat district. In Darrang district 65.3 per cent households do not have any financial assets while the figure is 10.2 in Bongaigaon district.

District-wise data of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

In spatial diversity category, 69.4 per cent households in Char Blocks, 67.1 per cent households in General Blocks, 66 per cent households in Tea-garden Blocks do not have any agricultural assets.

Spatial diversity data of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

In religion category, 72.5 per cent Muslims and 68.9 per cent Hindus do not have any agricultural assets.

Religion data of of Agricultural Asset, Non-Agricultural Asset, transport Asset, Household Appliance, Financial Asset  ( in per cent)

“While poverty measure through income and/or consumption levels are widely used and universally acknowledged, this is by no means and exhaustive measure, especially in developing societies, with multi-dimensional deprivations. As such, deprivations in other dimensions of standard of living such as lack of specific household assets, land ownership, proper housing, and housing amenities like electricity, drinking water, toilet etc, are also needed to be considered to assess the extent of deprivation and overall standard of living. It is believed that asset poverty reflects long-term poverty in a household” states the HDR.

The Assam HDR Survey, 2013 covered 39,998 households covering 187,511 individuals in 27 districts, 97 Blocks, 95 urban centres, 1972 villages of the state.

- nezine.com Editorial Bureau