An Empirical Analysis of Distribution Pattern of Household Assets among MGNREGS Beneficiary Households in Punjab Singh Sarbjeet*, Singh Jagdev Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala-147002 (Punjab) *Corresponding author's email: drsarbjeetsingh@gmail.com
Online published on 13 December, 2017. Abstract The study has been undertaken to analyse the distribution pattern of household assets among MGNREGS beneficiary sampled households in the rural areas of Punjab. A sample of 440 MGNREGS beneficiary households (106 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 229 from Fazilka and 105 from Hoshiarpur district) have been selected with multi-stage random sampling. The reference period of the study is 2014–15. The analysis of ownership of assets clearly pointed out that majority of MGNREGS beneficiary sampled households are landless and they are mainly dependent upon wage work for their livelihood. The average value of total household assets among MGNREGS beneficiary sampled households is only 3, 66, 827.45 2, 99, 407.53, and3, 40, 851.48 in Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, and Hoshiarpur district. As a whole, the total value of assets is3, 25, 539.64 among all the sampled beneficiary sampled households taken together in the rural areas of Punjab. The results highlighted that the share of productive assets (land, livestock and transport vehicle) to the total value of assets is only 18.55 per cent and due to that reason they are compelled to engage in low-paid jobs and also dependent upon mercy of the medium and large farmers for earning their livelihood in the rural areas of Punjab. The distribution of household assets is uneven among the MGNREGS beneficiary sampled households. Top Keywords Employment, inequality, land, MGNREGS. Top |