Perception of Respondents towards the Effect of Jeevika Project in Bihar State

Slowdown in agricultural growth and productivity, changing cropping patterns, increase in distress migration, changing consumption patterns, and government policies favouring industrial houses, among others have seriously undermined the food and livelihood security of the poorer households. An integrated, multi-dimensional and holistic approach to poverty eradication efforts is crucial to preserve and enhance the livelihoods of the poor. The rural poverty situation in India is highly complex and greatly differentiated by geography, demography and social class. Nearly 60% of the rural poor households are concentrated in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Taking cognizance of the enormity of problem, the government of Bihar has initiated a project Jeevika – Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Project in six districts of Bihar viz., Nalanda, Gaya, Khagaria, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani and Purnia in 2007. This study is attempting to undertake a micro-level analysis of collected data to assess the effect of Jeevika Project in Bihar state as perceived by the respondents through study of their perception towards the effect of the programme in their life in terms of institutional and capacity building, financial inclusion, social development and entitlements, used by them and provided by the project in Muraul Block of Muzaffarpur District of Bihar. A total sample size of 160 respondents from the SHGs formed as the basic working units of Jeevika project were selected by simple random sampling Procedure. Data were collected by using personal interview method in 2014. Out of 160 respondents, 116 respondents (72.5%) had perceived that there was change in their life due to effect of Jeevika and 44 respondents (27.5%) perceived that there was no effect and 150 (93.8%) respondents were ‘aware’ and 10 respondents (6.3%) were ‘not aware’ about Self-Help Groups (SHGs) before joining the project; none of the respondents were member of any other SHGs before joining the project; out of 160 respondents only 34 respondents (21.1%) were availing loan facility provided by the project's SHGs.