Question : REVISION IN GUIDELINES OF NRDWP

(a) whether the new guidelines for providing funds under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) have been prescribed without taking into consideration the area, availability of surface and ground water, the number of habitats with scarcity of water, the water required for cattles, the annual rainfall etc. in the States;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government proposes to bring logical changes in these rules on the basis of suggestions received from various States including Rajasthan; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MS. AGATHA SANGMA)

(a) to (d) From 01-04-2009, States have been allocated funds under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) based on the rural population, the rural population managing drinking water supply schemes and the areas under Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) and special category hill States. Allocations are also made separately to States for areas under Desert Development Programme (DDP) and for natural calamities. The areas under DDP and DPAP are recognized to be deficient in ground and surface water sources and are therefore given additional weightage while allocating funds.

All states, including Rajasthan, are consulted before any changes in the allocation criteria are considered. The NRDWP Guidelines came into effect from 01-04-2009. Thereafter, further suggestions made by the States were considered for modification of the allocation criteria and approved by the Government on 25-02-2010. Among the major changes approved are: giving specific weightage to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population of the State; including the area under DDP blocks along with the criteria of DPAP, HADP and Hill States and increasing the weightage for DDP areas.