Livelihood of Agricultural Labourers in Punjab: Emerging Policy Issues

Sukhpal Singh ()
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Sukhpal Singh: Punjab Agricultural University

A chapter in Covid-19 Pandemic and Economic Development, 2021, pp 153-161 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Capitalist development model of Punjab agriculture has squeezed the employment opportunities which displaced human labour in farm sector. As a result, agricultural labourers are pushed towards unemployment, under-employment and low earnings. A field survey of 180 agricultural labour households of the state during 2017–2018 reveals that 80% of these households were indebted. Their annual income from all sources was Rs. 108,404 against the debt amount of Rs. 81,470. In such a situation it is imperative to study the livelihood of agricultural labourers. The compensation should be provided to all deceased labour families wherein suicide happened due to indebtedness or economic distress. The land-related legal entitlements of these families should be ensured and the wage rates and actual working days should be enhanced. Moreover, the housing conditions, healthcare and education of the labour families must be improved. As agricultural labour households are undergoing a process of transformation wherein they are leaving the agricultural wage market due to crisis-led push factors, there is a need to develop rural industrialisation with special emphasis on agro-based industries. For an enduring solution to their problems, the right to work and old age pension should be ensured for this working class.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-16-4442-9_13

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-4442-9_13

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