Question : Drought Prone Area Programme

(a) whether a large number of districts across the country have been declared drought affected, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government has not been able to provide free foodgrains and employment under MGNREGS to such affected rural population;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the programmes carried out in those regions with particular reference to DPAP, State/ UT-wise and the reaction of the Government in this regard;

(d) whether the Apex Court has also expressed concern for not implementing the welfare programmes for such population of the country, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the corrective action taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a) As per the information furnished by the Drought Management Division, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, a total of 246 Districts in 10 States have been declared as drought affected during 2015-16. The State-wise details are given at Annexure.

(b) & (c) The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. In the drought affected rural areas, under MGNREGS, for enhancing the livelihood security of people, Ministry has guaranteed 150 days of wage employment in a financial year to rural households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The provision of additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under MGNREGS has been made in the notified drought affected areas of the 10 States during 2015-16.

In addition to the above, Department of Land Resources have been implementing area development programmes on watershed basis. The erstwhile Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) along with two other programmes namely Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) were integrated into a single modified programme known as Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) in 2009-10 for the development of rainfed/ degraded areas. Under this programme, the drought prone areas have been given due priority while selecting the project areas.

The major activities taken up under IWMP inter alia include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods for assetless persons. In 2015-16, the IWMP has been amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component of the “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY)”. As on 31.12.2015, a total of 8214 projects have been sanctioned covering an area of 39.07 million ha and an amount of Rs.12496.86 crore released as Central assistance to various States under aforesaid scheme.

As per the Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects-2008 (Revised Edition-2011), the period for completing PMKSY (Watershed Development) projects is between 4-7 years. These projects are in different stages of implementation.

(d)& (e) As per the information furnished by the Drought Management Division, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, a writ petition (Civil) No. 857/2015 has been filed by Swaraj Abhiyan before Hon’ble Supreme Court of India seeking inter-alia necessary relief and compensation for the drought affected States, implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) and generation of adequate employment under MGNREGA. The matter is sub-judice.

In addition to the above, the Ministry has recently received a Writ Petition (Civil) No. 768/2015 (Public Interest Litigation) filed in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, New Delhi regarding timely payment of wages and compensation to workers under MGNREGA. The matter is sub-judice.

*****