(a) whether India is getting any assistance from international agencies/institutions for the development of backward areas in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the projects/programmes being undertaken with the above assistance along with the benefits accrued as a result thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) & (b): Government of India is getting financial assistance from various development partners and international agencies/institutions such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) , KFW, Department for International Development (DFID), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, etc. However, this financial assistance is not earmarked for development of backward areas as such. Projects which get international assistance from international agencies / institutions implemented in the Central and the State Sectors are posed to these agencies by Government of India. Most of the assistance from international agencies / institutions is sector / project specific and a number of projects are in operation in the country including in backward areas. Some of the projects focusing on poverty alleviation, livelihoods and rural development include Rural Livelihood Projects in Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mitigation of Poverty in Western Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh District Rural Poverty Project, Tamil Nadu Empowerment and Poverty Reduction Project, Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh Tribal Development Programme, Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Programme, Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Project, etc.
(c): Though assistance from international agencies / institutions is a very small part of our development expenditure but engagement with the international agencies helps in leveraging global knowledge and expertise, carry out innovation in development as well as undertake capacity building. All these play a useful role in support of Government of India’s efforts in poverty reduction in the country, including backward areas.