Socio-economic status of schedule tribes in Andhra Pradesh: An analysis in Kadapa district

          A Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed to study the Socio- economic status of schedule tribes.

       In the first stage, Kadapa district was purposively selected for the study.

       In the second stage Kadapa, Jammalamadugu and Rajampeta three revenue divisions selected; 

        In the third stage each division 2 mandals randomly were selected, namely

Rayachoti, T.Sundupalli, Nandalur, B.Kodur, Thondur, and Vempalli mandals are selected;

         In the fourth stage each mandal 25 sample randomly tribals were selected.

         All  the tribal households in the sample village were interviewed with the help of prepared schedule, totally the final sample respondents interviewed were 150 from the Kadapa district.

         For the survey of the objective in the area,the males constitute 59.33 per cent and females 40.66 per cent of the respon dents in the study area. It is obser ved that the respondents are mostly in the age group of 25-35 (39.33 per cent), while within the age group of 35-45 it is 28 per cent, 12 per cent in age group of above 45 and lastly 20.66 per cent in the age group 18-25 of the total respondents in the study area. The education level says that 36.66 per cent were illiterates, 46 per cent were primary level, 12 per cent were secondary and 5.33 per cent were intermediate educational level of the respondents. The marital statusreveals that 115 members (76.66 per cent) were married and 16 per cent were un-married. The house particulars are reveals that 16.66 per cent respondents live in kutcha type of houses; with pucca houses formed 27.33 per cent

and 50.66 per cent of samplebeneficiaries mixed house and 5.33 per cent only huts lives in the study area.

          The livestock particulars are bullocks constitute 5.33 per cent,cows constitute 8 per cent, buffaloes are 17.33 per cent and sheep goats are 69.33 per cent the distribution of livestock across the study area. The results show that, though theGovernments were implementing many a number of programmes for the upliftment of the scheduled tribes, it is imperative to bring out the information on which programme is successful with regard to its outreach. With regard to their outreach the Food for Work Programme (FFW) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGES), INDIRAMMA (Housing Programme) are successes as the total sample are beneficiaries of these three programmes. 

        However, the INDIRAMMA scheme

was only (60.66 per cent) sample respondent, which are more benefited and the rest are left out. Hence, the present status of the income will provide better social security or living standards instead they have to depend on housing facility provided by the Government for the

scheduled tribes. The Government has to be innovative inimplementing the above said scheme. 

            The land particulars are observed that among the respondents. 12 per cent respondents are no land, 55.33 per cent of owned land below I acre, 28.66 per cent owned land between 1 to 2 acres and 4 per cent owned above 2 acres in the study area.

          The occupations are observed that

12 per cent are cultivators, 15.33 per cent are wage labour, 9.33 per cent were house workers, 21.33 per cent collect forest products and 38 per cent non-agricultural

labour and 4 per cent other labour in the study arca. The respondents income levels shows that 5.33 per cent of the

respondents are found in the income group up to Rs.10,000: 35.33 per cent of them are in the income range of Rs. 10,000-20,000: 43.33 per cent income rangeof Rs. 20,000-30,000 and 8 per cent of them has gross income range between Rs. 30,000-40,000, 6 per cent income range of Rs. 40,000-50,000 and 2 per cent of them has gross income above Rs. 50,000 in the study area. In theexpenditure reveals that group of up to Rs.10,000 (2.66 per cent), 5.33 per cent of them are in the range of Rs.10,000 - 20,000: 30 per cent expenditure in the range Rs. 20.000 - 30,000; 39.33 per cent of them are

in the range of Rs.30,000 - 40.000; 18.66 per cent expenditure in the range Rs. 40,000 - 50,000 and 4 per cent of them has expenditure above Rs. 50,000 in the

study area.

         As income of the samplerespondents is low and even insufficient to meet their household expenditure, they are forced to borrow money frequently.

           Generally sample respondents approach money lenders for financial support due to accessibility to financial

institutions. Due to the higher rate of interest charged by money lenders and also due to low earning capacity the

indebtedness among the sample PDS beneficiaries is high. The Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, and Co-operative Banks are the important institutional sources of credit supply, while land-lords, money lenders,

neighbours, pawn brokers, village traders, friends and relatives are the non-institu tional sources. The rate of interest paid by the borrowing sample beneficiaries

depends on the sources of finance. The money-lenders and land-lords charge the usurious rate of interest ranging between 24 and 60 per cent per annum. On the other hand, the institutional credit agencies charge nominal rate of interest. The rate of interest of the Co-operative Banks ranges between 1 and 14 per cent and the banks including rural banks between 4 and 11 per cent collected

from the barrowers.

           It  is apparent that the sources of debt are commercial Banks (1.33 per cent), Regional Rural Banks (5.33 percent), Co-operative Banks (7.33 per cent), the land lords(19.33 per cent). Money lenders(16.66 per cent). Neighbours (25.33 per cent), Friends and Relatives (14 per cent) and Village Traders(10.66 per cent) in the study area. The most of their credit needs are met by private money lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates and make their lives more vulnerable to their intangible problems. Hence the Government should take inventiveness in order to promote the finical stability among the schedule tribal by offering better banking service by providing good amount of loan money with lower interest rates for the needy people who are being in the thrust of the improvement and ultimately the process

of development can't be hindered in the initially level which can put into more towards the economic development of the individual level which in turn reflect

on the society and rural community as a whole for the development, as well all know that, development beings within the rural villages itself. The Central Govern ment and State Governments are provided widely marketing specialties, godowns, cold storage facilities for the forest based products.