(a) whether the Government is considering that development of infrastructure
and connectivity is the most important method to remove regional imbalance in the
country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has prepared certain specific programmes to alleviate
poverty in the country particularly in Odisha and Jharkhand while focusing on the
development of infrastructure and connectivity; and
(d) if so, the details thereof ?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) & (b): Regional imbalances result from varying factors such as differences in resource
endowment, geographical and historical characteristics and availability of infrastructure
including connectivity. The planning and development of an area is primarily the
responsibility of the States concerned. The Central Government, on its part, supplements
the efforts of the State Governments through various Special Area Development Programmes,
Flagship Programmes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes which cover development of infrastructure
and connectivity also.
(c) & (d): Various schemes focusing on poverty alleviation and also on infrastructure and
connectivity are in operation in the States including Odisha and Jharkhand. The major
development programmes / schemes in operation in the country are : (i) Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA), (ii) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana(PMGSY), (iii) Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana(SGSY), (iv) National Rural Health
Mission(NRHM), (v) Integrated Child Development Service(ICDS), (vi) Total Sanitation
Campaign(TSC), (vii) Mid Day Meal(MDM), (viii) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), (ix) Indira
Awas Yojana(IAY), (x) Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM), (xi)
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme(AIBP), (xii) Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran
Yojana(RGGVY), (xiii) Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission(RGDWM), (xiv) Accelerated
Power Development and Reform Programme(APDRP), and (xv) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana(RKVY).
The specific scheme to remove the regional imbalance is the Backward Regions Grant
Fund (BRGF). The BRGF has two components, namely, (i) District Component covering 272
backward districts in 27 States (including 22 districts approved for coverage in June,
2012), and (ii) State Component which, in its present form, includes the Special Plan for
Bihar, Special Plan for the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) districts of Odisha, Special
Plan for West Bengal, Integrated Action Plan(IAP) for Selected Tribal and Backward Districts
and the Special Package to implement drought mitigation strategies in Bundelkhand region.
20 districts of Odisha and 23 districts of Jharkhand are covered under the District Component
of BRGF. Under Integrated Action Plan(IAP) for Selected Tribal and Backward Districts, 18
districts of Odisha and 17 districts of Jharkhand are covered.