The failure of the growth-oriented strategy of the 1960s to make any significant dent on the problems of rural poverty and unemployment led to its re-examination in the late 1960s. Inequitable distribution of benefits of the growth-oriented programmes between rich and poor households within an areas was officially acknowledged in the early 1970s, and a number of corrective measures in the form of programmes were taken to ameliorate the problems. We discuss here the major programmes taken up by the government with the main objective of alleviation of poverty and unemployment.