scorecardresearch
Friday, March 29, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomeIndiaGovernanceWith biggest budget, how has the rural development ministry performed on key...

With biggest budget, how has the rural development ministry performed on key schemes?

Follow Us :
Text Size:

For FY 2017-18, the ministry had an allocation of Rs 1.07 lakh crore. How has it fared on implementing schemes like MGNREGA, housing, and roads?

New Delhi: The rural development ministry, which oversees several flagship schemes of the government, receives a lion’s share of the union budget — over Rs 1 lakh crore — every year. In fiscal 2017-18, the ministry had an allocation of around Rs 1,07,000 crore.

As the financial year draws to an end, ThePrint looks at the performance of marquee schemes under this ministry, and what these numbers really tell us.

MGNREGA

Source: Ministry of Rural Development | Siddhant Gupta

Promises 100 days of employment every year to each rural household.

Budget estimate, 2017-18: Rs 48,000 crore

Revised estimate: Rs 55,000 crore

Allocation for 2018-19: Rs 55,000 crore

When the BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014, it was accused of attempting to dilute the flagship rural employment scheme. However, given how politically and electorally sensitive it is, the government has since made an attempt to improve its implementation, especially in order to address its most glaring shortcoming – delays in wage payments — which defeated its entire purpose. The act mandates that wages be paid within 15 days of completion of work.

To that effect, this has been the best performing year for MGNREGA since it was introduced in 2006. Over 85 per cent of wages have been paid in time this fiscal, as against 43 per cent and 37 per cent in the previous two fiscals.

Ministry officials say an “intense effort” has been put to ensure delays are minimised. “This was the primary focus of the ministry. We have issued many circulars to all states warning of zero tolerance for delays in wage payments. After the Supreme Court pointed at the delays, it became even more of a priority,” an official said on the condition of anonymity.

However, the problem hasn’t entirely been solved yet. While wages are being cleared on time, the cleared wages reaching the beneficiaries’ accounts within 15 days continues to remain a challenge. Officials say around 30 per cent of the cleared wages do not reach workers’ accounts on time.

However, the average number of days when work has been provided has remained low. MGNREGA mandates providing 100 days of employment to beneficiaries, but this year, the figure stood at 43.6, as against 46, 48.85 and 40.17 in the previous three years.

Officially, the government claims the scheme is demand driven, and hence, these low statistics show less demand. However, this is caused more by a supply side constraint, with inadequate planning of work at the local level and implementation gaps.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Gramin

Source: Ministry of Rural Development | Siddhant Gupta

A restructured version of the Indira Awas Yojana, the scheme calls for ensuring housing for all by 2022. The immediate objective is to cover one crore households between 2016-17 and 2018- 19, for those living in mud houses or dilapidated houses.

Budget allocation, 2017-18: Rs 23,000 crore

Allocation for 2018-19: Rs 21,000 crore (extra-budgetary support is additional).

Rural housing has been a marquee scheme for this government, with the BJP looking at it as a potential electoral game-changer. So far this year, 31 per cent of the houses sanctioned have been completed, as against 50 per cent last year. In nearly three years starting 1 April 2016, 27 lakh houses have been completed.

The ministry is confident of meeting the one crore target by end of this fiscal. Officials say full emphasis is being paid to make sure the target is met and that identification of beneficiaries is fool-proof.

“There is real-time monitoring of progress of construction through geo-tagged photographs. Funds are transferred electronically to beneficiary bank accounts through DBT. There is focus on meeting the target. Look at the houses sanctioned in the second instalment — there are 45 lakh of them, and all are near completion,” a ministry official said.

National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM)

Aims to create “efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor, enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services”.

Budget estimate, 2017-18: Rs 4,849 crore

Revised estimate: Rs 4,699 crore

Allocation for 2018-19: Rs 6,060 crore

The government’s main thrust in the coming year will be on enhancing livelihoods in rural areas through its signature scheme – Aajeevika. “As my proposals outlined indicate, focus of the government next year will be on providing maximum livelihood opportunities in the rural areas by spending more on livelihood, agriculture and allied activities, and construction of rural infrastructure,” finance minister Arun Jaitley had said in his Budget speech.

To this effect, the ministry has already given the scheme a push. In FY 2017-18, the number of households mobilised into self-help groups stand at 83.24 lakh, as against 68.93 lakh last year.

Source: Ministry of Rural Development | Siddhant Gupta

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

Launched under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2000, PMGSY is a fully-funded centrally-sponsored scheme to provide all-weather road connectivity in rural areas.

Budget estimate, 2017-18: Rs 19,000 crore

Revised estimate: Rs 16,900 crore

Allocation for 2018-19: Rs 19,000 crore

The PMGSY has seen a boost in the completion of new connectivity works this year, at 81.72 per cent versus 62.6 per cent in FY 2016-17. The figure of total road work completed has remained consistent at around 83 per cent.

All figures are the latest data available with the rural development ministry. However, with lags in data entry, the figures are expected to go up when the final data for this year is reflected.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular