Question : NGOs in Rural Development

(a) the details of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) engaged in various rural development activities including Public Private Partnership projects, State-wise;

(b) the details of the Government support, if any, to such voluntary agencies in the discharge of their activities during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether there have been complaints of impropriety of any nature against such agencies in their activities, functioning, funding and fund utilisation during the said period and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of action taken against such organisations including the steps taken by the Government to evolve an effective mechanism to oversee the functioning of these agencies effectively?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT)

(a) & (b): The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing various rural development programmes including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), PradhanMantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and Indira AwaasYojana (IAY) through State Governments/ UT Administrations in the rural areas of the country.

Non Government Organizations (NGOs)/ Project Implementing Agencies (Trusts, Societies, Cooperatives and Section 25 Companies) are involved in the implementation of MahilaKisanSashaktikaranPariyojana (MKSP) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin KaushalyaYojana (DDU-GKY) under NRLM. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is implementing a placement linked skill development scheme for rural poor youth under PPP mode with organizations registered under the Companies Act, 2013, India Trusts Act, 1882, Societies Registration Act, 1860, the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912, State Cooperative Societies Act, Multi State Cooperatives Act, 2002 and Limited Liability Act, 2008. The total cost of 189 DDU-GKY projects sanctioned to Trusts, Societies, Section 25 Companies is Rs. 810.71 crores to be shared between the Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25 (in case of NE States the fund sharing ratio is 90:10).

Under MGNREGA, assistance of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) identified by the State Government, is taken under the Cluster Facilitations Team (CFT) Project to train and mobilize workers and to support the Gram Panchayats. The services of reputed NGOs may also be utilized under IAY.In addition, under the Ministry’s Partnership Guidelines for partnering with NGOs/ CSOs, two NGOs namely, PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) and Digital Green Trust are selected as "NRLM Support Organisations" (NSOs). The details are given at Annexure-I and II.

(c): Complaints have been received against two Programme Implementing Agencies under DDU-GKY in which investigations were suitably instituted.

(d): DDU-GKY has a three tier concurrent monitoring mechanism for ensuring quality of the program, including placement of candidates. Each placement is required to be tracked for a period of one year. The first level of concurrent monitoring is undertaken by an in-house Q-Team of the Project Implementing Agency. At the second level, monitoring is undertaken by the State Rural Livelihoods Missions/ State Nodal Skills Mission in the State Government. The Central Technical Support Agencies undertake monitoring at third level. The entire process of monitoring is regulated in terms of a Standard Operating Procedure notified by the Ministry. Apart from this quality of training is ensured through assessment and Certification of curriculum and candidates in terms of National Council for Vocational Training and Sector Skill Council standards.


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