Question : Poverty Free Gram Panchayats

(a) whether the Union Government has targeted 50,000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country to be made “poverty-free” by October 2, 2019;
(b) if so, the details of the State-wise target fixed therefor;
(c) the criteria adopted for selection of poor gram panchayats;
(d) whether the Government has urged the State Governments to undertake a selection process for these GPs immediately so that implementation of the programme starts from April 1, 2017 to ensure removal of deprivation and backwardness in the GPs by Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Jayanti in 2019;
(e) if so, the details thereof and the response of the State Governments thereto; and
(f) the steps taken by the Union Government to address all the dimensions of poverty through convergent action and a saturation approach under the existing schemes by Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
(SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) In the Union Budget 2017-18 the Finance Minister has announced Mission Antyodaya to bring one crore rural households out of poverty and to make 50,000 Gram Panchayats poverty free by 2019-Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary.

(b) & (c) The state-wise target of Gram Panchayats to be undertaken under Mission Antyodaya has been determined taking into account, inter alia, demography and deprivation and has been communicated to the States.

(d) & (e) State Governments have been urged to identify the Gram Panchayats to be undertaken under Mission Antyodaya in a cluster mode. While doing so, states have been advised to give priorities to the following 8 categories:




• Open defecation free GP
• DAY-NRLM SHG GP
• Mission Water Conservation GP
• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana GPaw
• RURBAN Cluster GP
• Crime free / dispute free GP
• Any other State selected GP for special coverage
• Award winning GP Pradhan
The response of State Governments on Mission Antyodaya has been positive.

(f) A framework for Mission Antyodaya for Poverty Free Gram Panchayats for convergent action and saturation approach under existing schemes has been prepared and shared with concerned Ministries/Departments and State Governments.

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