Art Of Living-Camp at Kakelav

Basic Course of Art of Living was held at Jodhpur from 9 March 2010 to 14 March 2010 by Shri Mahesh Sharma Rajasthan Co-Ordinator.The plesant personality and expertise of Shri Mahesh Sharma made this basic course as one of the most successful courses held at Jodhpur.He was also kind enough to visit Kakelav a village near Jodhpur adopted by Pearl Sansthan and motivate the youth and children of that village.
Jai Gurudev

Youth Leadership Training Program

Join youth from around the world in a fun and challenging opportunity for personal growth and service.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
– Marianne Williamson

Youth Leadership Training Program, or YLTP, is an intensive residential program which gives you an immersion in stress and trauma relief techniques of breathing, meditation and yoga and prepares you to teach those techniques back to the community. A focus on leadership, teamwork and communication skills creates a solidly bonded team of volunteers with an emphasis on service that gives back to communities in need.

In the words of one YLTP graduate,
“Youth Leadership Training was the most memorable and rewarding experience of my life. I can’t wait to go back.”

Discover your Potential
YLTP expands your ability to live a happy, fulfilling and useful life. It breaks the boundaries of what you thought you were capable of, increasing your personal power, energy and focus, as well as leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

It challenges you to learn and embody the Art of Living, discover your potential and be the change you wish to see. Tapping your inner wisdom, you become a model of inner strength, joy and caring for the world. All this is nurtured by a deep connection with a loving and accepting team who dedicate themselves to the challenging and ultimately fulfilling work of personal growth and service.

The recipe for depression is just asking ‘”What about me?”
The antidote to depression is doing some service for someone else.

You Can Make a Real Difference
YLTP’s focus is on providing stress and trauma relief, and returning peace of mind to those who have had their lives radically disrupted by disaster situations such as Hurricane Katrina. Participants are prepared to teach a free trauma and stress relief course, and organize and implement community development projects.

If you are ready to
see what you are really capable of,
if you have a sincere desire to
make a difference in the world,
fill out an application today.

>> Apply Now for YLTP (ages 18+)

Watch the YLTP Intro Video
YLTP Photo Gallery
YLTP on Facebook

Harit Rajasthan

Harit Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot  launched a massive new plantation drive, “Harit Rajasthan”, by planting saplings at S. Radhakrishnan Shiksha Sankul here and called upon the people to provide a green cover to areas where the absence of trees has led to ecological imbalances. The Government’s flagship scheme envisages planting of over 30 lakh saplings on vacant land in schools, colleges, hospitals and government offices as well as in public parks and along the roadside and highways. Seeks support Mr. Gehlot called for cooperation by all sections of society to make the drive a success. Besides Mr. Gehlot, several Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and senior officials of the Forest, Horticulture and Agriculture Departments took part in the plantation programme. The Chief Minister said the scheme would help increase the groundwater level which was rapidly declining and equip the desert State to deal with the consequences of global warming, environmental degradation and climatic changes. “I earnestly hope that this drive will pave the way for good rains across the State,” he said, adding that it should be treated as not just a government programme but one that deserved to be nurtured by farmers, owners of nurseries, voluntary organisations and social activists.

Plantation by Shilpi Kaushik Asstt.Director Pension Department Jodhpur

NAREGA in Jodhpur

NAREGA work near village Mogra

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is seen by those who pushed most vigorously for its enactment as a piece of legislation that

can potentially transform the picture of rural poverty. It is not difficult to understand why this perception should exist.

The Act guarantees at least 100 days of employment as unskilled labour to at least one adult member of any rural household that registers for employment under it.Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has promised in his budget speech that the real wage rate paid under NREGA will be Rs 100 per day. Put those two things together and what it amounts to is that if the Act is perfectly implemented, any rural household availing of the scheme should be able to earn at least Rs 10,000 a year from it.

The rural poverty line, which is now in the region of Rs 400 per capita per day, means that an average household that is below the poverty line (BPL) will have an income of something in the range of Rs 24,000 per annum or less, assuming a five-member household.

In other words, if a BPL family were to get the full promised benefit of NREGA they could earn the equivalent of more than 40% of their annual income from this one scheme alone. That should be enough to see why NREGA should not be seen as just another of the plethora of poverty alleviation schemes that India has had since Independence.

But how much of this potential has actually been realized? Data for the three years during which NREGA has been in operation, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 shows that on average only 50% of the households that registered under the scheme actually got employment. Further, the average number of days each household got employment was only 45 against the promised 100. In short, at best a quarter of what was promised has been delivered. It’s a beginning but a long way from meeting the objective.

What’s more, the all-India figures do not reveal the true picture. The reality is that there is a wide variation of performance across states. In terms of the percentage of registered households provided work, Maharashtra has averaged an abysmal 13% over the three years while Rajasthan at the other end of the spectrum has averaged 73%.

In terms of the average number of person-days of employment per household too, the variation is quite wide — from 22 in West Bengal to 79 in Rajasthan. If we take both parameters together, states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Assam are above the national average, others like Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Kerala are below the average on both counts and most others have performed well on one of the two counts but not so well on the other.

The average wage rate paid is now a touch over Rs 85, but again that varies from around Rs 70 per person per day in states like Gujarat and Meghalaya to double that amount in Haryana. For many states including Uttar Pradesh, therefore, the promise of Rs 100 per day will not add anything to what is available. Nevertheless, the fact that the government is willing to stipulate a minimum floor across the country rather than leaving it to minimum wage criteria in the states is a welcome development.

What the disaggregated picture shows, thus, is that there is considerable scope for improving the implementation of the scheme, more so in some states. Making the NREGA work well could become particularly crucial in the current year if the apprehensions about drought in some areas turn out to be well-founded.

A study of the seasonal pattern in the demand for work under NREGA shows that the July-October period is the lean season while May-June is the peak period. While there may be other factors, the monsoon and the kharif crop would seem to have a major role to play in providing farm employment opportunities during this period and hence reducing the demand for employment under NREGA.

A drought could change that and raise the demand for work during these lean months. Will the system be able to cope with that increased demand? Finding the money to fund it is the relatively easy part. Streamlining the delivery mechanism might be much tougher.

TOI Dated 12july2009

Durry Weaving

Durries Handicrafts 

Durries are flat woven rugs or carpets used traditionally in India as floor-coverings.

Durry Weaving

 In recent years there has been a growing demand for durries both in India and abroad. The durry is a cotton spread without piles, which traditionally comes in two varieties: one that is used on the bed instead of a mattress or below a thin cotton mattress and the other which is used as a floor covering. The former variety is smaller in size and is made on a pit-loom while the latter is made on an elementary loom called an adda.The technique of durry weaving can be seen in its most primitive form in the villages of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana where girls are normally put to the task at an early age so that they can prepare rugs that will form part of their trousseau. In contrast, girls in Navalgund, a village in Karnataka that produces a small number of unusual durries, are never taught the craft lest they spread the skill outside the family after marriage. Durries come in numerous designs although the most common are stripes of different colours and geometrical designs. Sometimes animal and bird motifs are also used. Fine durries in brilliant colours made of cotton and silk have become a speciality of Salem (Tamil Nadu) while those made of jute fibre are woven in West Bengal.

The modern Indian housewife often tends to prefer durries to carpets. Durries are lighter and easier to maintain and can usually be washed at home. They are suitable for a hot and dusty environment and being less expensive they can be replaced every few years. This does not mean that durries are not long lasting. People even have durries that have lasted for about twenty years and in spite of several washes still look good.

They have variety of use depending on size,pattern and material.The smallest one is 12″ by 12″ and is used as base cover for telephone stands and flower vases.The ideal size for doing meditation is 24″ by 24″ known as aasan.

The durries used in large political or social gatherings are as big as 20 feet by 20 feet.The durries are easily portable being light in weight and can be folded.They come in variety of color combination and patterns catering to the needs of every taste and occasions.

The durrries have low cost of maintenance as they do not get infected by Silverfish or other bugs responsible for destroying carpets.

Durries can be used for whole year,a cotton durry is warm in winters and cool in summers

Durries are made manually by skilled artisans on a traditional horizontal loom or vertical loom.

In Rajasthan pit looms are also used for weaving in which weaver sits in a pit and feet are used in weaving.The maximum breadth is 24″.

Madhya Pradesh durries are known for their sturdy character and delightful colours. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh,make distinctive type of durries.In some part of these states the durries make a part of dowry given at the time of daughters marriage.

Durries made in Rajasthan at Salawas are known as Panja durries and are exported on large scale.

 

About one million people are directly or indirectly involved in durrieis weaving cottage industry.Pearl Sansthan is marketing durries.

 

 

Durries marketed by Pearl Sansthan

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become the buzzword in boardrooms and the media. But more often we misunderstand it as giving back to the society and consider it to be synonymous to corporate philanthropy. It is high time we make a difference between the two terms. CSR is no philanthropic activity and it is the onus of a business to earn for what it invests. So if somebody were to ask what drives business to adopt CSR, the answer is:
The company is doing it for its own long-term good. Do they have a secret agenda behind it? No. It is simple and pure business.
Just think of it. You would buy a share in a company expecting a price appreciation. This appreciation would come not from the fact that the company has donated millions of rupees but because it has made a healthy long-term investment. This is the reason why corporations today want to be socially responsible from an investment standpoint and not a charity viewpoint. The former is much tougher and creates a larger good for all parties.
It is well known but relatively less understood that businesses and society go hand in hand. A business cannot thrive without a focus on society and at the same time supported by it as well. For instance, it is the prerogative of healthcare delivery companies to invest in a much-needed healthcare professional school if it wants able technicians for its company tomorrow. Doesn’t it make intuitive sense?
Today, the healthcare delivery market in India is growing at a rate of around 10 per cent; however, the need for able technicians is glaring. So much so that only 5-10 per cent of all secondary technicians are suitably qualified. Who else would bother to create a school if the companies that require it do not? If one takes a macro-picture, it is nothing but a cycle where the companies are investing for a better tomorrow.
Now, let us take an easier route for these healthcare delivery companies or the so-called selfless path. These companies can donate all their CSR funds to non-profit hospitals. But would that serve a better purpose? Would able technicians be available tomorrow? No. Who would get wrongly diagnosed? You and me. In short, society is a much better off, if companies are wise enough to adopt the tougher route.
This does not mean that there should not be any charity But at the same time it should not come from a for-profit organisation. The very purpose of the two is contradictory. A case in point is that of Microsoft. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has one of the largest corpuses committed to charity, but this being completely secluded from Microsoft. So if Bill Gates intends to do welfare activity for AIDS patients, he would do it through the above foundation. On the other hand, if he wants to invest in computer literacy of India, he would do it through the corpus of Microsoft. It is obvious that he is spending millions of dollars on computer literacy with a long-term strategy in mind. But what is bad about it?However, wherever there is a good, there is also some element of bad. Several corporations today spend a lot of money through the CSR route only to get some publicity The irony is that such actions are often greatly appreciated and applauded. As a matter of fact, these are the ones that have a secret agenda, of earning some repute by doing short-lived social activities. For example, if the CEO of a company were to donate $10 million from his company, it is only he who would get publicity and not his company. Needless to say that this would do the company no good.
Having said that, it is also important that one should not always aim to get a direct benefit from what one invests in society. Such steps need not always be directly beneficial to business but certainly must be relevant to the objectives of the organisation.

• CSR Opportunities offered by Corporates
  • NASSCOM Foundation  – Offers Technology Assistance for Non-profits 
  • Aje consultants  – Interested in productive partnerships with community based organization 
  • Braun India  – Interested In CSR for Children 
  • Lead India -CRBiz  – two day workshop on CSR – New delhi -paid 
  • ONGC  – Interested in Socio-Economic Development Projects 
  • Shroff Eye Hospital  – Interested in providing for free eye camps 
  • Xansa  – Interested in education / vocational guidance 
  • Godrej  – Course on Servicing of Refrigerators & Air-conditioners Free of cost – 

• Various CSR websites / organisations (Related Links)
  • 600 CSR ideas  – From CSR Europe – the European business network for CSR 
  • CII Skills Development  – Making India the Skills Capital of the World 
  • Council for Fair Business Practices (CFBP)  –  
  • CSR Asia  – training, research and consultancy services on sustainable business practices in Asia 
  • CSR e-news letter  – Confederation of Indian Industry 
  • CSR News  – University of Oldenburg, Germany 
  • Do the right thing  – How CSR Rating Works 
  • United Nations Global Compact – Ten Principles  

Manmohan Singh-Prime Minister of India-Visionary Leadership

 

Manmohan Singh,Prime Minister of India-Visionary Leadership

Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh outlined five challenges, including improving financial system for global integration, for India to become a developed economy while cautioning that the rapid progress should not lead to complacency

“It would be wrong to assume, as some do, that the major development challenges had been solved and that the Indian economy can effortlessly coast towards becoming a developed economy,” Singh said while releasing “India rural infrastructure report” by economic think-tank NCAER.
Despite a high level of public debt, inflation has been contained and “in brief the economic environment facing the private sector has been transformed and the results are evident,” he said.
Giving polic economy, improved delivery of public services, improved management of urban areas, preparing financial system for greater inclusion and increased global integration besides facilitating private investment in infrastructure, he said “we must not be complacent.”
He said rapid growth was needed to provide hope and productive employment for millions of young people joining the labour force each year and to accelerate the reduction of extreme poverty.
The Prime Minister said it was heartening to note that growth process that began with the external sector and services, has now spread to manufacturing.
Reiterating concern over the agriculture sector, Singh said agriculture would have to be redirected to higher-value activities to provide decent income to small farmers.
Improved rural connectivity and economic and social infrastructure would be critical in this effort as well as removal of barriers to domestic trade, he said.
Prime Minister also called upon the states to “experiment with a range of models” for delivery of basic education and health services considering affect on poor people.
Referring to important but “expensive business” of urbanisation, he said, “our competitiveness as a nation will increasingly depend on the efficient functioning of our cities.”
Our challenge is to modernise the governance of our cities so they can generate the resources for their own growth and attract private financing in a stable environment, Singh remarked.
Apparently referring to stiff opposition of Left parties against opening of financial sector. Prime Minister said extending its reach would be crucial for “permitting our small entrepreneurs and producers to realise their potential.”
“India stands to gain hugely from greater integration of its financial system with that of the • world, in a prudential way,” he said.
Emphasising on public-private sector partnership in infrastructure sector. Prime Minister called for establishing a credible regulatory regime. Investments will only materialise if there is confidence in the independence and stability of the regulatory regime, he said. I spent the first ten years of my life in a village that had no electricity, no drinking water supply, no doctor, no roads and no phones. I had to walk many miles to a school. I had to study at night in the dim light of a kerosene lamp. After independence there has been considerable development in rural areas, yet many of our citizens still live a life that I lived in my childhood. 

That is why when our government took over, we launched Bharat Nirman, to build rural infrastructure. Our government is committed to transforming rural india. In these four years we have taken important initiatives. I am confident that a new and prosperous India will be built due to our efforts. 

Four years ago I spoke to you about our “Seven Sutras” – the seven priorities for our Government – agriculture, water, education, health care, employment, urban renewal and infrastructure. 

In each area we have taken important initiatives. I have already spoken about our initiatives for agricultural development and farmer’s welfare. 

The second important area of development has been infrastructure development. There is a new dynamism in our railways. New roads are being built. New seaports and airports are being developed. 

More and more of our people now live in our cities. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Mission has been funding urban development and modernization of our cities. 

The National Rural Health Mission has been expanding public health facilities and services in rural areas. 

As someone who started his professional life as a teacher, I feel proud to say that our Government has been giving special attention to the development of education in our country. There is a massive increase in public investment in education at all levels. In elementary education, in secondary education and in higher education. 

We have strengthened Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and expanded the mid-day meal programme upto upper primary level in all districts of the country. About 14 crore children are being provided mid-day meals under this scheme. 

We are establishing 6,000 new high quality model schools, with at least one school in each block. 373 new colleges are being opened in backward districts. We are opening 30 new universities, 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs, 20 new IIITs, 5 new Indian Institutes of Science, 2 Schools of Planning and Architecture, 10 NITs, and 1,000 new polytechnics. 

I have called the 11th Five Year Plan our “National Education Plan”. We want every section of our society to get access to education. Every child belonging to a family of SC, ST, OBC and all Minorities, every single child, boy or girl, must have access to modern education. 

Our government is implementing several new scholarship schemes for the educational development of our children. Schemes for pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for children hailing from SC, ST, OBC and Minority families are being implemented. Special scholarships for meritorious students from SC, ST, OBC and Minority families have also been launched. Scholarships for overseas studies are being given to SC and ST students. National merit-cum-means scholarships for children hailing from economically weaker sections and children with disabilities have also been approved. 

We have established a new Skill Development Mission which will work under the supervision of the Prime Minister. A Skill Development Corporation will be created by the Government with the active participation of the private sector to give special training to our young men and women, our workers and our technicians. 

I am happy to say that we are sincerely implementing most of the recommendations of the Justice Sachar Committee Report on social, economic and educational empowerment of our Muslim community. 

India will be transformed only when every Indian is literate, well fed, healthy and can secure gainful employment. 

I want to see a modern India, imbued by a scientific temper, where the benefits of modern knowledge flow to all sections of society. This year we hope to send an Indian spacecraft, Chandrayan, to the moon. It will be an important milestone in the development of our space programme

Indian Pottery

Water peachers made by Indian potters

In many villages in India pottery ie earthen pots to keep drinking water is source of livelihood.This is an art which is passed on from one generation to next.
Near Jodhpur there is village Sangasani the entire village is of potterey makers and pots made by them are of best quality.The water in matka(water peacher)remains cool in the entire summer.
For this clay or pond sand mixed with silt is used and intially a dough is made.Then the lump of dough is put on a revolving disc and shape is given by hand.This crude matka is then beaten by stick to expand smoothly and proper shape is given.This raw matka is then put in high temperature by burning wood and it becomes ready to use.This is entirely labour oriented skilled job.The cost of ready matka lies somewhere between 20 to 50 Rs. depending on quality and size.ottery are objects that are first shaped of wet clay, then hardened by baking. Pottery includes both decorative and practical items such as bowls, vases, dishes, and lamps.

Pottery is a decorative or useful ware made of baked clay. Pottery includes valuable works of art, inexpensive dinnerware, vases, and other simple household items, all made by professional potters. The word pottery also refers to the factory that makes pottery. Pottery ware is part of a larger product group called ceramics that encompasses bricks, cement, sewer pipes, and other industrial products. Four steps are needed to make a pottery product: preparing the clay mixture, shaping the clay, decorating and glazing the item, and firing (baking). The firing temperature gives pottery its finished appearance and its strength.

 

There are three major pottery types: (1) earthenware, (2) stoneware, and (3) porcelain. Each type is distinguished by its clay mixture and the temperature at which it is baked or fired. Earthenware is a pottery clay mixture that is fired at a lower temperature. The low baking temperature allows the use of colorful glazes, but also yields a pottery that cracks and chips more easily than other types. Stoneware pottery is made of a heavier clay mixture that gives it greater strength. Stoneware is fired at a much higher temperature to give a harder finish. Porcelain is the purest and the most delicate type of pottery. It is formed from koalin, a fine white clay, that is mixed with controlled amounts of feldspar and flint and then fired at a low temperature.

Illiteracy

Students of school run by pearl sansthan receiving study material

Illiteracy is major problem in rural development. According to a nationwide survey that was carried out by IMRB-SRI of school-going children, aged 6 to 13, almost 6.94% of children in this age group are out of school. Of these, a massive 68.26% are those who never went to school. 31.74% are those who dropped out after one or more years of schooling. That there is a clear urban-rural divide in elementary education in the country becomes apparent, on studyingthese findings. Of the number of school going children in the age group 6-13 years in rural areas, 7.8% are out of school. The comparative percentage is 4.34% in urban areas. Incidentally, more girls than boys are out of school. This is especially so in the age-group of 11-13 years, where approximately 10% of the girls do not go to school, as against 6.5% boys. “This is primarily because families expect girls to help out at home. Also, there is the thought that “ladki paraya dhan hai- iskopara kar kyafaayda. “which is acutely prevalent in rural areas. Finally, there is the distance factor- many children have to walk upto 3-4 kms to reach the school, which again becomes a de-motivator,” says A V i Surya, Research Director of IMRB-SRI. Among those children who are attending school, an overwhelming 74.51% are in government schools, 22.95% are i in private recognized schools, 1.85% in private unrecognized schools and .59% in madarsas and Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) Centres, started under the Sarva Siksha Ab-hiyan of the Government. The proportion of out-of-school children is relatively higher in Muslims (9.97%) and Scheduled Tribes (9.54%). The Scheduled Castes follow, with almost 8.17% of the children from this category, not going to school. This is probably attributable to social restrictions within these groups. Also. according to Chanchal Sinha of Child Relief & You (CRY), “The proportion of government-run schools is coming down. The most affected, therefore are children from these marginalised and weaker sections -who have no option but to use government schools.” However, the disturbing trend is that even amongst those children who are enrolled in schools, the levels of comprehension arent that great. For example, as per the ASER survey, 35% of all children in the age group 7-14 could not read simple paragraphs and close to 52% could not read a short story Also, 41% of children could do neither two digit subtraction problem nor division problems. Then, there is the problem of drop-outs. The IMRB-SRI survey, however, puts the percentage of drop-outs as being the highest among those, who dropped out after completing class V and class II (20.5% each). Next is the percentage of those who dropped out after class III (17.5%). The silver lining, however, is that the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan that the government had initiated seems to have had some impact, in that the number of out-of-school children have come down, from the time the Abhiyan was launched five years ago. However, according to CRY’S Sinha, we are still far away from the Abhiyans objective of ensuring that all children complete at least eight years of elementary schooling. “We should ensure that all children are in formal schools until the age of 18. The need is to increase the spend on education to at least 6% of the GDP from the current 4.2%. Also, the Common School System should be implemented soon, to ensure access, equality and quality in education,” he says.

National Rural Employment Gaurantee Act

Workers at Narega site

NAREGA

THE National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) guarantees 100 days of employment at the rate of Rs 60 a day. According to the website of the Union ministry of labour, the minimum wage is pegged at Rs 66 per day. In dollar terms this comes to about $8.5 per week, assuming a six-day week. In America, the minimum wage is roughly $5.5 per hour before deduction of payroll taxes. Assuming a 40-hour week, this amounts to $220 a week. The cost of living is much lower in India, the differences being adjusted through purchasing power parity (PPP). According to the World Bank, the rupee equivalent of a dollar can buy goods and services valued at about five times what a dollar can in America. Therefore a weekly wage of $8.5 in India is equivalent to $42.5 in America. Ceterisparibus, the minimum wage in America is five times higher than what it is in India. Theoretically speaking, since capital is scarce and labour abundant and less productive, wages are relatively lower in India. But minimum wages are not market clearing wages. They are regulatory wages to ensure that market wages do not fall below subsistence. They are expected to cover the essential current costs of accommodation, food and clothing (roti, ka-pada aurmakaan} of a small family. Let us consider the monthly expenses of a family of four living in the American Midwest. The family spends $520 on rent for a two-bedroom apartment, $150 on utilities, $250 on food and clothes, $100 on petrol, and $200 on family health insurance, or $1,220 in all. A minimum wage of $220 a week yields a net monthly income of $820 after tax. Payroll taxes smoothen the consumption curve during spells of unemployment and in old age. This leaves an uncovered monthly shortfall of $400 a month, which could be covered by two hours overtime (at 150% of the minimum wage) five days a week, or by three hours part-time work, possibly by the spouse.therefore, the minimum wage captures the market value of food, accommodation, utilities, transportation, healthcare and social security at subsistence levels for small nuclear families. The rise in single parent families and health insurance costs distort but do not entirely alter this picture, especially since private charities and public support and emergency systems constitute effective back-ups. The Indian minimum wage of Rs 3,500 per month (with the spouse working full time), in comparison, would at best cover the cost of subsistence sourced from informal markets for an equivalent family of four. Whereas the poor in America purchase standardised food products and clothes from discount supermarkets, in India these are purchased from roadside sellers peddling dubious quality. Most daily wagers reside on encroached public land controlled by land mafias. Since slums are adjacent to workplaces, transportation costs are minimal. Utilities such as power and water are also sourced from informal markets, usually controlled by the same land mafias who steal power and water from publicly ‘extra-legal’ control of assets into capital. Howsoever seductive this argument, the assertion that this would solve the problem of poverty and development in backward societies is moot. Modernisation and globalisation have everywhere spelt the doom of petty production. Destruction of traditional (artisanal) industries and depeasantisation are necessary concomitants of the modernisation process based on economies of scale. The crisis in our small-scale industrial and agricultural sectors is ample proof of this. Viewed from this perspective, the NREGS can be seen as acknowledgement of the crisis and collapse of petty production. There is also a lurking danger in the Soto solution, especially when the underlying governance environment is weak. Often when extra-legal assets are transferred as legal property rights and hence potential collateral for capital, the recipients are either so destitute or more likely so uninformed that they then formally transfer away those rights for a value well under market. This could actually legalise the hold infrastructural mafias have over the marginalised. Under prevailing circumstances raising the regulatory minimum wage may only compound the gap between the minimum wage and the market clearing wage, and also hit the country’s cost competitiveness in manufacturing. Big-ticket public and private investment based on their respective comparative advantage (public and private goods respectively), expansion of wage labour, higher incomes through enhanced labour productivity, and improved governance are imperative to address these problems. Such big-ticket investment would also remove supply constraints in the ready availability and affordability of standardised mass produced goods and services. A comprehensive social security net would ease the transition from an informal economy based on petty production and services to a modem one. All NGOs are requested to cotact and decide a way of pressurising government to revise its minimum wage structure. contact