(a) the number of districts covered under Hill Area Development Scheme
(HADS);
(b) the criteria for providing Special Central Assistance for various
districts covered under the Scheme;
(c) whether any evaluation study was carried out during the Eighth Plan
to assess the impact of HADS;
(d) if so, the findings of such study; and
(e) the funds earmarked and actual expenditure incurred on the HADS?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER
OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME
IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS AND PUBLIC
GRIEVANCE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC
GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (SHRI ARUN SHOURIE)
(a) The Hill Areas Development Programme (HADP) and Western Ghats
Development Programme (WGDP) cover the following designated Hill Areas/Talukas:
(i) Two hill districts of Assam - North Cachar and Karbi Anglong.
(ii) Twelve districts of Uttar Pradesh-Dehradun, Pauri
Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Chamoli, Uttar Kashi, Nainital,
Almora, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat, Rudraprayag
and Udham Singh Nagar.
(iii) Major part of Darjeeling District of West Bengal.
(iv) Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu.
(v) 159 talukas of Western Ghats area comprising part of
Maharashtra (62 talukas), Karnataka (40 talukas), Tamil Nadu
(25 talukas), Kerala (29 talukas) and Goa (3 talukas).
(b) The Special Central Assistance (SCA) available under the
Programme is divided amongst the designated hill areas under HADP and
the designated talukas of WGDP in the ratio of 84:16. The allocation available
under HADP is divided amongst the designated hill areas on the basis of their
area and population giving equal weightage to both the criteria. The
allocation available under WGDP is divided amongst the talukas on the basis
of area and population with 75% weightage to area and 25% to population
(except Goa in which case ad-hoc allocation of 5% of the total SCA is made as
Goa`s share works out to be negligible by adopting the same criteria of
weightage of area and population).
(c) & (d) Evaluation studies were carried out in the States of
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during the Eighth Five Year Plans
by the respective State Governments. Although it is difficult to isolate the
impact of the programme as the funds are only additive to the normal flows
from the State Plans, the Studies at the micro level show that the beneficiary
oriented programmes in sectors such as horticulture, soil conservation and
minor irrigation have had a good impact in the area.
(e) The allocation of Special Central Assistance and expenditure incurred
under the programme are in Table-1.
Table - I
Allocation of Special Central Assistance and Expenditure under HADP/WGDP
(Rs. in crores)
States 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 Alloc. Exp. Alloc. Exp. Alloc. Exp. Alloc. Exp. reported reported reported reported
(A) Hill Areas in the State of Assam 46.32 46.32 46.32 46.32 50.16 50.16 50.90 50.90 Tamil Nadu 19.62 19.62 19.62 19.62 21.70 21.70 22.01 22.01 Uttar Pradesh 217.07 217.07 217.07 217.07 237.41 237.41 240.86 240.86 West Bengal 22.23 22.23 22.23 22.23 22.23 22.23 22.23 22.23
Sub-Total (A) 305.24 305.24 305.24 305.24 331.50 331.50 336.00 336.00
B. Western Ghat Region
Maharashtra 15.27 15.19 15.67 15.35 19.11 18.81 20.97 20.83 Karnataka 11.29 10.48 11.22 10.07 14.48 12.78 16.84 15.68 Kerala 9.52 9.40 9.96 9.77 11.91 11.75 13.51 13.37 Tamil Nadu 7.96 7.96 8.00 8.00 9.97 9.97 10.94 11.60 Goa 2.34 2.29 2.33 2.24 2.95 2.92 3.20 3.33
Sub-total (B) 46.38 45.32 47.18 45.43 58.42 56.23 65.46 64.81
Grand Total (A + B) 351.62 350.56 352.42 350.67 389.92 387.73 401.46 400.81