MINISTER OF STATE FOR PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND PLANNING (SHRI RAJEEV SHUKLA)
(a) to (b); The Group of Ministers in its meeting held on May 23, 2013 considered the
proposal of re-structuring of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) and recommended it to be
placed before the Cabinet with few amendments. The matter was placed to the Cabinet, which in
its meeting held on 20.6.2013 approved as follows. (a) Restructure the existing CSS/ACA
Schemes in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan into 66 Schemes, including Flagship Programmes. The
details of 66 CSSs schemes are indicated in the annexure. (b) Endorse 17 Flagship Programmes
with significant outlays for major interventions required in health, education, irrigation, urban
development, infrastructure, including rural infrastructure, skill development, etc. (c) Keep
at least 10% of the outlay of each CSS/ACA/Flagship Scheme as Flexi funds.
(d) Classify and budget all Plan schemes under which Central Assistance is
provided to the States together as Central Assistance to State Plans with effect from 2014-15
(BE) onwards. (e) Formulate state specific guidelines for each CSS/ACA/Flagship scheme and
constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Committee for this purpose. (f) For each new
CSS/ACA/Flagship scheme, at least 25% of funds may be contributed by the General Category
States and 10% fund by the Special Category States including States of J&K, Himachal Pradesh
and Uttarakhand. (g) Place the funds for all CSS/ACA schemes with the Administrative Ministries
and transfer CSS/ACA funds to the States through the Consolidated Fund of the States concerned.
This mode of transfer to be implemented in a phased manner in BE 2014-2015. (h) These
arrangements is to come into force for the remaining years of the Twelfth Five Year Plan.
(c) to (e): As per the decision of the Cabinet the flexibility in implementation of scheme is
enhanced due to following (a) At least 10% of outlay of CSS be kept as flexi fund which may be
used for funding innovations or taking up the activities/projects which even though not strictly as
per the guidelines of the scheme, serve the broad objective of a scheme. (b) A provision for
introduction of State specific guidelines in a CSS has been created. For this an Inter-Ministerial
Committee under the Co- chairpersonship of the Secretary (Planning Commission) and Secretary
(Department of Expenditure) with representative of the State Government and the Administrative
Ministries concerned has been constituted to consider the suggestions of the State Governments
for introduction of State specific guidelines for implementation of the schemes.
