Impact of Exclusion of Poor Communities on Social Development: A Study of District Lodhran in Southern Punjab (Pakistan)

Abstract

This study describes the impact of exclusion of poor communities on social development in district Lodhran, Pakistan. The study circulates around the involvement of poor communities of district Lodhran, particularly BISP beneficiaries and function of responsible major stakeholders of social development, generally; service provision of local government departments, political leader’s engagement with community and efforts made by Social Development Organizations (SDOs)/Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). The Major focus of the study is to identify the relationship between exclusion of poor people and social development by analyzing prevailing level of poverty, social integration and relationships, health and education, governance, gender discrimination and organizational gap. The results of this suggested that if prevailing conditions of poverty, governance, social integration, gender discrimination would be improved and involvement of government agencies and community development organizations is increased then exclusion of poor people would be reduced which will improve the social development automatically in district Lodhran. Consequently there is an immense need to ensure inclusion of poor community members in the process of social development in district Lodhran on urgent basis. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p369