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Year End Review 2004
Launching of National Food for Work Programme (NFFWP), Introduction of National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill in LS, Effective monitoring of Rural Development programmes, Flexibility in SGRY; Emphasis on rural connectivity, rural housing, provision for drinking water & toilets and computerization of land records are the major highlights of the year.
National Food for Work Programme
The National Food for Work Programme with an allocation of Rs. 2020 crores of Cash Component and 20 lakh tonnes of foodgrains has been launched in 150 districts of the country w.e.f. 14.11.2004. The programme was launched by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister from Village Aloor in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh. Rupees 297.91 crores and 20 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been released as part of the current year’s allocation to 150 districts of the country. The Scheme is being funded 100% by the Centre. For the States(other than special category States and States in the North Eastern region except Assam) most backward Districts have been chosen on the basis of an exercise undertaken by the Planning Commission using three parameters, namely, ( i) agricultural productivity per worker, (ii) agricultural wage rate and ( iii) SC/ST population,. For the special category States and the States in NE Region (except Assam) ,districts were identified from out of the list selected under the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY).
National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill 2004
This Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha to provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the poor household in rural areas of the country by providing at least 100 days guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every house hold whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Flexibility in Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)
Gainful employment, food security and strengthening of infrastructure in rural areas are a must for national renewal for a resurgent India. This wage employment scheme provides additional employment in the rural areas.. There has been 10 per cent increase in the cash allocation of the scheme. More than 63 per cent of the cash component and 75 percent of the food grains have been released. Strict monitoring and vigilance by local beneficiaries of the Scheme has been introduced at all the three levels of the Panchyati Raj in the districts. After 1st of April, this year, now funds and food grains are to be distributed among three PRIs in ratio of 20:30:50 and scheme has been made flexible to meet the contingency of non-availability of foodgrains or non-availability of funds at local level.
Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
During the current financial year, for the first time, first installments have been released to all most all districts. Rs. 497.81 crores have been released so far to all the states/union territories. Inter-ministerial Group was set up to design skill development as an activity to impart training in marketable skills to the rural youths. The Ministry also explored possibility of partnership with industry for training and placement of rural youths and to leverage their marketing network for the products of Self Help Groups (SHGs). Guidelines were also amended to give flexibility to the state/DRDAs in utilization of funds and to involve banks as facilitators in group formation. In addition, marketing avenues are being provided through SARAS Pavilion in the IITF, Regional SARAS Melas and Gram Shree Melas to help Swarozgaries to market their products.
Computerisation of Land Records
Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the Union Government, envisages that Revenue Administration should be thoroughly modernized and clear land title be established. Therefore, States were requested to undertake revisional survey for continuous updating of land records to reflect the ground realities on land records. The main objective of the scheme is that land owners should get updated computersied copies of their records right on demand from the taluka/tehsil computer centres. So far the scheme has been sanctioned in 582 districts of the country and it has been extended to 3236 taluks/tehsils /blocks and 471 sub-divisions.
Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Campaign
Ministry of Rural Development is mandated to provide safe drinking water and toilet facility to every house hold in rural areas. For this purpose, Rs.248 crores have been provided over and above the normal funds for coverage of not covered or partially covered habitations. Action Plan has been prepared to cover all rural schools with drinking water and sanitation facilities by 2006-07.
Rural Housing
To provide shelter to the rural poor, the Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY). The main objective of the Scheme to help construction of dwelling units for the poor shelterless families by providing Grants-in-aid. Recently, the guidelines have been modified to quickly cover the rural housing shortage of about 149 lakhs. Budget allocation enhanced to Rs. 2500 crores in 2004-05 against the last year’s allocation of Rs.1900 crores. During the current year so far Rs.1357 crores have been released to the almost all districts under first installment and to 54 districts under second installment.
Rural Connectivity
Rural Development Ministry has elaborately planned to develop rural roads connectivity to improve the rural roads network in the country. The Ministry has arranged 320 crores from World Bank/Asian Development Bank apart from proposal to borrow from LIC. Rs. 2148 crore have become available as part of central government share of the diesel cess of the 50 paise per liter imposed on the fuel from the Central Road Fund in the current financial year. The Government also proposes to amend the Central Road Fund Act, 2000 as part of its effort to raise funds for the rural roads network and for its development and maintenance.
Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas(PURA)
Rs. 10 crore has been allocated for launching this pilot projects. The Scheme aims to provide physical and social infrastructure in the identified rural clusters to further their growth potential.
Review of RD Schemes in NE Region
The Rural Development Minister reviewed the progress of Central Schemes with states’ rural developments’ ministers of north-eastern states on 30th November, 2004 at Guwahati. During the current year the allocation to NE state under different programmes is Rs. 1445 crores. Out of which 600 crores has already been released.
Budget Allocation for RD
The budgetary allocation for rural development programmes has been progressively increasing and in the Tenth Plan, the allocation of funds for the Rural Development Ministry has been Rs. 76,774 crores. The budgetary allocation for Annual Plan 2004-05 is of the order Rs. 16,000 crores. It is expected that during the year another Rs. 2429 crores will be provided additionally, apart from the payment for foodgrains.
BPL Census 2002
The Ministry of Rural Development conducts the Below Poverty Line(BPL) Census in the rural areas of the country in the beginning of each Plan period, through the State Governments/UT Administrations for identification of persons living below the poverty line for targeting them under the Poverty Alleviation Programmes. The BPL Census 2002 for the Tenth Five Year Plan has been completed in all the rural areas of the country, but results are yet to be finalized.
Chief Ministers Conference on Poverty Alleviation
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated a two day conference of Chief Ministers on ` Poverty alleviation and Rural Prosperity through Panchayati Raj.’ The PM said the strategy for the rural development should be fashioned to unleash the productive potential of agriculture activities. He suggested a system of providing Block grant to districts based on their incidence of poverty to plan and implement strategies, to optimise their resource potential. Minister of Rural Development said that the 29 crore people are living below the poverty line in our 6 lakhs villages. Out of this, 1 crore and 21 lakhs people are landless. Thus, lack of potable water, lack of rural connectivity, abject poverty and wastelands are real impediments in our efforts to become the frontline State.
National Conference of Project Directors of DRDAs
The Conference was convened by the Ministry of Rural Development to have a close interaction between the planners, policy makers and implementers, to exchange ideas and information to improve the quality of information, to make the delivery system more efficient and result oriented The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing a number of programmes to improve the quality of life in rural areas especially targeting the large population living below poverty line. This Conference was also attended by RBI officials, Chief Executives of the major banks, the government of India Secretaries and other experts related to field .The Planning Commission Member Shri B.N. Yugandhar also graced the occasion.
Monitoring by Members of Parliament
The Ministry reconstituted district vigilance and monitoring committees headed by the respective Member of Parliament (MP) as the Chairman and the concerned District Magistrate as Member Secretary. It is expected that this Committee will exercise independent vigilance over the functioning of the various rural development programmes being executed by the DRDAs/Zila Parishads.
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