Question : Funds under Rural Development Schemes

(a) whether the allocation of funds under the various rural development schemes have been reduced during the last three years and the current year, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(b) the funds allocated, released and expenditure incurred under these schemes and poverty alleviation programmes during the above period, State/UT-wise;

(c) the States/UTs which have utilised the Central Funds under various schemes appropriately and timely during the period;

(d) whether the Government proposes to place a system to periodically review/ appraise the implementation of the rural development schemes in the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) the details of structural changes brought about by the Government in the ongoing rural development schemes during the last three years for their effective implementation, State/UT-wise?

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI BIRENDER SINGH)


(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.


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Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.168 for answer on 05.05.2016.

(a) : The Department of Rural Development, inter alia, is implementing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) to bring about overall improvement in the quality of life of the people in rural areas through employment generation, provision of social assistance and other basic amenities. The overall budget of the Department of Rural Development has increased over the last three years and current year which is given below:

Year Overall Budget

(Rs in crore)

2013-14 (RE) 59310.00

2014-15 (RE) 68156.00

2015-16 (RE) 77650.00

2016-17 (BE) 86000.00

Scheme wise allocation for the last three years and current year is given at Annexure-I

(b) : The fund allocated, released and expenditure incurred under major rural development schemes are given at Annexure-II.

(c) & (d) : The level of implementation and utilization of fund under various schemes are governed by the fact that some programmes are being expeditiously implemented by some states; whereas some other states from time to time face certain constraints in the implementation of some schemes, including occurrence of natural calamities, diversion of entire state machinery for election work during election, non-receipt of counterpart funding from the states, lack of capacity building etc. which adversely affect fund utilization capacity of these states.

In order to ensure that the programme benefits reach the rural people in full measure, the Department of Rural Development has evolved a comprehensive multi-level and multi-tool system of Monitoring and Evaluation for the implementation of its programmes comprising (i) Review by the Union Ministers (ii) Performance Review Committee (iii) Vigilance & Monitoring Committees (iv) National Level Monitors (v) Area Officers Schemes (vi) Concurrent Evaluation &(vii) Impact Assessment Studies.

(e) : The Programmes of the Department are reviewed regularly and changes, if required, are made to improve the implementation and outcomes. The major structural changes brought about in the ongoing rural development schemes during the last three years for effective implementation include:

(i) Restructuring of Rural Housing Scheme - In pursuance of achieving the commitment to provide ‘Housing For All’ by the year 2022, the rural housing scheme, Indira Awaas Yojana, has been revamped as Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G). From the year 2016-17 the unit cost assistance under the scheme has also been enhanced to Rs. 1, 20,000 in plain areas and to Rs.1, 30,000 in hilly states/difficult areas/IAP districts.

(ii) Change in the funding pattern - The funding pattern under PMAY-G, DAY-NRLM and PMGSY has been changed. The funds under these schemes is now shared between centre and the states in the ratio of 60:40 in respect of all the States except 8 NE States and 3 Himalayan States: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for whom the fund sharing pattern is 90:10.

(iii) Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise (IPPE-II), Mission Antyodaya, has been started in the 2569 backward blocks of the country in convergence with four other major Rural Development schemes namely; Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY- NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) now restructured as PMAY-G for preparation of State Rural Development Plan for the FY 2016-17.

(iv) Project Livelihood in Full Employment – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Project LIFE- MGNREGA) has been launched to plan and implement tailor-made livelihood interventions for rural households in convergence with DAY-NRLM, KrishiVigyanKendras (KVKs) and Deen Dayal Updhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) for converting unskilled MGNREGA workers into skilled persons.

(v) Under MGNREGA new initiatives have been taken for fund management and to avoid delay in wage payment which include launch of National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) in Kerala on pilot basis, launching of Dashboard for tracking of pending Fund Transfer Orders, Public Fund Management System, Workers module, electronic Fund Management System, Direct Benefit Transfer etc. It has been decided to upscale NeFMS in ten States with effect from 1st April 2016.