Synopsis Despite the steady growth of economy after independence, the problem of unemployment is still on the increase. The benefit of growth has failed to percolate down to the poor people especially in rural areas. The strategy for poverty alleviation includes acceleration of rapid economic growth with a focus on employment intensive sector (generation of income and wealth), access to basic minimum services for improving the quality of life of poorest of poor; and direct state intervention in the form of targeted anti-poverty programmes, including provision of subsidized foodgrains.