(a) whether the Government proposes to increase the allocation of funds under the
centrally sponsored schemes for the backward districts of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to attain balanced development in all the districts
of the country?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) to (c): The norms / guidelines of many of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as the
National Rural Health Mission(NRHM), National Rural Drinking Water Programme, etc. are
weighted in favour of backward areas in terms of particular indicators. The increase in
allocation for backward districts will depend upon the allocation available for various
Centrally Sponsored Schemes and the norms for spatial distribution under the respective
Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
In addition to the normal Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the Backward Regions Grant
Fund(BRGF), which is an Additional Central Assistance(ACA) scheme, was initiated in
2006-07 to fill the critical gaps in development in the identified backward districts / regions
and was under implementation during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The BRGF had two
components viz (i) District Component covering 250 districts in 27 States, and (ii) State
Component which included Special Plan for Bihar, Special Plan for the KBK Districts of
Odisha, Special Plan for West Bengal, Bundelkhand Package and the Integrated Action Plan
for 78 Selected Tribal and Backward Districts.
In an effort to continue to supplement the efforts of the State Governments in
attaining balanced development in the backward districts / regions, it is proposed to continue
the implementation of BRGF in 2012-13 in its present form in addition to the other flagship
programmes. The objective of all the policies of the Government are to facilitate balanced
development throughout the country in consultation and cooperation with the State Governments.