Rural Development

1. HIKE IN MGNREGS WAGES
Unstarred Question 1899
22/11/2010

(a) whether National Advisory Council has asked the Government to ensure that workers enrolled under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) should get wages as per minimum wages applicable in different States;

(b) if so, the details thereof and action taken by the Government thereon;

(c) whether the Government proposes to link the wages under MGNREGS with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and de-link them from the Minimum Wages Act;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) if not, the reasons therefor; and

(f) the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to provide wages at par in each State and to expand this Scheme to urban poor areas?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)

(a)&(b): A note by National Advisory Council on wage payment to workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA has been received from PMO and is being examined.

(c)to(e): Section 6(1) of Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act provides for wage rate under the Act. The relevant provision is as under:

`Notwithstanding anything contained in the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Central Government may, by notification, specify the wage rate for the purposes of this Act:

Provided that different rates of wages may be specified for different areas:

Provided further that the wage rate specified from time to time under any such notification shall not be at a rate less than sixty rupees per day`

An Expert Committee has been set up to examine the issue of appropriate indexing of wage rate under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. The Committee has not yet submitted its report.

(f): Section 6(1) of the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Act provides that different rate of wages may be notified by the Central Government for different areas. Therefore, there is no proposal to provide wages at par in each State. Mahatma Gandhi NREGA applies only in the rural areas of the country and can not be extended to urban poor areas.

2. CEILING ON LAND HOLDINGS
Unstarred Question 3508
16/8/2010

(a) the status of ceiling surplus land in the country;

(b) whether the Government is planning to revamp the schemes related to ceiling on land holdings;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) if not, reasons therefore?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI)

(a): As per information received from the States/UTs on implementation of the land ceiling laws, as on 31.12.2009 an area of 69.92 lakh acres has been declared surplus, of which 61.40 lakh acres has been taken possession of, and 50.03 lakh acres has been distributed to 56.48 lakh beneficiaries.

(b) to (d): Land and its management falls within the exclusive legislative and administrative jurisdiction of the respective States as provided under Entry No. 18 of List – II (State list) of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. The role of the Central Government in the field of Land Reforms is only of an advisory and Coordinating nature. The subject matter has, however, been considered at the highest level. In order to get comprehensive recommendations on the matter, the following two high level bodies were constituted.

i) A “Committee on State Agrarian Relations and the unfinished Task in Land Reforms” was constituted under the Chairmanship of Minister of Rural Development.

ii)A “National Council for Land Reforms” Constituted under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister.

The composition, terms of reference, etc. of the Committee and the Council were notified in the Official Gazette on 9th January, 2008. The Committee has since submitted its Report. The Report of the Committee is being examined by the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) before it is placed before the ‘National Council for Land Reforms’ constituted under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister for its consideration and directions.

3. DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
Unstarred Question 3638
16/8/2010

(a) the number of household connections individual as well as multiple being given under the National Rural Drinking Water Supply Programme (NRDWP) for the last three years, State-wise;

(b) the progress in terms of NRDWP (coverage) for Orissa in the year 2009-10;

(c) whether the Government is planning to amend the criteria for fund allocation for extremely backward region of the country under NRDWP;

(d) if so, the details thereof;and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MS. AGATHA SANGMA)

(a) Under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), assistance is provided to states to create public infrastructure to provide drinking water to rural habitations and achievement is monitored in terms of number of habitations covered. However, States are free to provide household connections from rural water supply schemes.

(b) During 2009-10, against a target to cover 3,452 rural habitations with provision of potable drinking water supply in Orissa, State Government has reported coverage of 9,777 habitations.

(c) to (e) The criteria for allocation of funds have been modified in March, 2010. The modified criteria for allocation of funds inter alia includes, weightage to rural population, SC & ST rural population and areas of the States under Desert Development Programme and Drought Prone Areas Programme, Hill Areas Development Programme and special category hill States. Thus, there is no proposal to amend the criteria for allocation of funds.

4. NGO’S UNDER CAPART
Unstarred Question 3766
19/4/2010

(a) the number of Nodal Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) selected under the Council for Advancement of People`s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) for targeted projects in the backward and unreached areas in the county;

(b) the percentage of increase in grants under this scheme for the current financial year;

(c) whether the Government has prepared any mechanism to evaluate their functioning;

(d) if so the details thereof; and

(e) the details of NGOs delisted after being given grants?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT(SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)

(a): Nodal Non-Governmental Organisations (NNGOs) were supported under Public Cooperation (PC) scheme of CAPART from 2006-07 to 2007-08. The total number of NNGOs selected by CAPART is 74.

(b): Under PC scheme the budgetary allocation for 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2010-11 is as follows:
 

The total support for NNGOs were to the tune of Rs.4.62 crores. Since 2008- 09, no NNGO project was supported. The Executive Committee of CAPART in its meeting held on 30.9.2009 had decided to formally close the Nodal NGOs Scheme. No provision in the budget was made separately for NNGOs.

(c) & (d): Yes, Sir. The procedure/mechanism for evaluation of CAPART scheme is annexed.

(e): No individual NGO has been delisted from the scheme after being given grants. However, since 2008-09 no new project under NNGO was supported by CAPART.

Annexure

Statement referred to in reply to part (c) & (d) of the Unstarred Question No. 3766 dated 19.04.2010
Mid-term appraisal by CAPART monitors and release of second installment.
Decision to depute Facilitator-cum-Evaluator (FCE) for conducting mid-term evaluation will be based on the following:-
# Progress Report received from the voluntary organisation (VO).
# Utilisation of funds made available/local contributions mobilised in proportion to the release made.
# Failure on the part of the VO to submit the requisite documents in time. Based on the findings by the FCE, second and subsequent installments will be released.

A project may be subjected to one or more mid-term/concurrent evaluations depending upon the nature, duration & seasonalities involved in the implementation of the project.

During the course of mid-term evaluation, the monitor is expected to look into the following:-
# Management of the affairs of the society, fulfilling the legal requirements, etc.
# The authenticity/correctness of the progress report made available in comparison to the field work done.
# Assessment of the quality of physical work, beneficiaries involvement, reasonableness of the amount spent, etc.
# Withdrawal of project fund from the bank and its utilisation.
# Checking of the vouchers and books of accounts.
# Assessment of beneficiaries satisfaction and their participation.
# Assessment of the benefits accruing from the progress made in the implementation of the project.

Based on these factors, the monitor is expected to make his recommendation for release of the next installment.

The evaluation report will be submitted by the FCE to CAPART within 45 days from the date of receipt of the assignment. The Evaluation report will be examined by CAPART keeping in view the progress reported by the project holder. After examination of the progress report, Receipt & Payment Account, utilisation certificate and the mid-term evaluation report, decision will be taken in regard to the release of second/subsequent installment within 15 days.

The balance grant will be considered for release in six monthly installments keeping in view the satisfactory performance and utilisation of grant released in previous installments and mid-term/concurrent evaluation reports.

10% of the total grant will be retained/withheld and will be reimbursed to the organisation after receipt of satisfactory completion/final progress report/audited receipt & payment and income and expenditure statements of accounts and utilisation certificate. The project holder need not furnish separate utilisation certificate for this 10% amount if a utilisation certificate for the same has been submitted in the final accounts.

Submission of completion report by the VO

The VOs are expected to submit the completion report to CAPART within 30 days of the completion of the project along with the following documents:-
# Completion report in the prescribed format.
# List of beneficiaries clearly stating the number of beneficiaries in accordance with the categorization of gender, SC,ST, OBC, General, BPL, APL and disabled.
# Some action-oriented photographs capturing the achievements at the field level.
# A certificate through the Panchayat or other local authority that the community assets created under the project assisted by CAPART have been handed over to the authorities concerned or user groups.
# Details of arrangements made for the post project land holding of the project by the VO.
# Consolidated audited statements of accounts reflecting the grants received in various installments and utilisation certificate for the grant extended. It should also include local contributions mobilized as per the terms of the sanction order.

Post Evaluation

On receipt of the completion report and other final documents, CAPART will appoint FCE for post evaluation within 15 days which will be carried out to obtain information on the following:-

# To verify whether all the stipulated work has been carried out as per the terms of the sanction order.
# To ascertain beneficiaries` satisfaction in the implementation/creation of the assets.
# To verify the books of accounts and other related documents to ensure proper utilisation of funds.
# To assess the impact of the project and arrangements made for sustainability of the project.

Comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the work of large recipients of CAPART assistance

Comprehensive evaluations of VOs are conducted by CAPART in addition to the periodic evaluations. Such evaluations are normally conducted through professional institutions or teams of experts in the following cases:-
# VOs which have received assistance over Rs.50 lakhs for a single project; or
# VOs which have received assistance over Rs.1 crore for different projects during a period of 4 years.

5. EXPANSION OF MGNREGS
Unstarred Question 3867
19/4/2010

(a) the details of permissible activities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) whether any discussions were held in the meeting of Central Employment Guarantee Council in August, 2009 for including new works thereunder;

(c) if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has decided to widen the scope of this scheme and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has received any requests from various quarters including public representatives/ individuals/ State Governments/ organisations etc. for inclusion of more activities/sections of people under MGNREGS since its inception;

(f) if so, the details thereof and action taken thereon;

(g) whether a number of obstructions have arisen in widening the scope of MGNREGS and the Government has set up an expert committee to clear them; and

(h) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to remove the same and implement the scheme effectively?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT(SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)

(a): Activities which are permissible under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA have been given in their order of priority in para 1 of Schedule-I of the Act and are as given below:

(i) water conservation and water harvesting;

(ii) drought proofing (including afforestation and tree plantation);

(iii) irrigation canals including micro and minor irrigation works;

(iv) provision of irrigation facility, horticulture, plantation and land development facilities on land owned by households belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes or to Below Poverty Line Families or to beneficiaries of land reforms or to the beneficiaries under the Indira Awas Yojna of the Government of India or that of the small and marginal farmers as defined in the Agriculture Debt Waiver and debt Relief Scheme, 2008;

(v) renovation of traditional water bodies including desilting of tanks;

(vi) land development;

(vii) flood control and protection works including drainage in water logged areas;

(viii) rural connectivity to provide all-weather access;

(ix) construction of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra as village knowledge Resource Centre and Gram Panchayat Bhavan at gram panchayat level.

(x) any other work which may be notified by the Central Government in consultation with the State Government.

(b) & (c): Yes, Sir. In the meeting of Central Employment Guarantee Council held on 18th August, 2009, inclusion of new works as permissible activities under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA was discussed.

(d): Construction of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra as Village Knowledge Resource Centre and Gram Panchayat Bhawan at Gram Panchayat level has been included as a permissible activity in para 1 of Schedule I of the Act vide Notification dated 11.11.2009.

(e): Yes, Sir. Proposals have been received from a number of State Governments for inclusion of new works as permissible activities under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

(f): Details of works proposed by various States are given in the Annexure.

(g) & (h): Some of the members of the Central Employment Guarantee Council sought clarifications in this regard which were duly provided to them.

http://164.100.47.132/Annexture/lsq15/4/au3867.htm