Rural schemes to be modified for Naxal-affected areas Centre unveils agenda emphasises on development in tune with needs of the local people-14/9/11

14 Sep, 2011, 03.42AM IST, ET Bureau

Rural schemes to be modified for Naxal-affected areas/Centre unveils agenda for Naxal-hit areas
PM emphasises on development in tune with needs of the local people(ITS A COINCIDENCE THAT I HAD ALSO WRITTEN EARLIER IN THIS BLOG ABOUT SOLUTION TO NAXALISM IS THROUGH PEACE-TALK..AND DEVOLOPMENT INCLUDING AWARENESS ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICE CAN BE CURED BY WINNING HEART AND CHANGE OF MINDSET....OTHER THEN BASIC EMENITIES,HEALTH,HYGIENE,EDUCATION,RIGHTS AND DUTIES...VT)




NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has acknowledged the need for greater flexibility in the implementation of the rural schemes and demand for support and security to make their delivery more effective in the naxal-affected districts.

"It is crucial for policymakers to feel the needs of the people and have a deeper understanding of the ground reality," the Prime Minister said while addressing district collectors and district magistrates of naxal-affected regions included in the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) on Tuesday.

"There cannot be a uniform structure of implementation. It is essential to have in-built flexibility in implementation of these programmes," Singh added.

Earlier minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh sought Prime Minister's intervention to relax conditions for rural flagship schemes for effective implementation in 60 naxal-affected districts. IAP was a scheme conceptualised by the planning commission and implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs last year to address short term infrastructure deficit in 60 naxal-affected districts.

The scheme gives an untied fund of 25 crore in 2011-12 to each district for small projects and was to be concluded in 2012.

Decision has now been taken to continue the scheme in conjunction with other rural developmental programmes and bring 18 more districts under the ambit of the scheme.

Focusing on the rural roads programme, Ramesh asked the Prime Minister to do away with the 250- plus habitation clause required for sanction of a rural road project under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana(PMGSY). "Districts need flexibility to implement these programmes and more roads need to be done to enhance connectivity in these sparsely populated areas," Ramesh said.

Ramesh has asked the Prime Minister for an additional allocation of 35,000 crore for the IAP districts over the next three years stating that Deputy Chairman of the planning commission has given his in principle approval for the suggestion.

The rural development on its own accord will relax other aspects of the rural roads programme and provide funding to construct cement concrete roads - that are less liable to be damaged by bombs - from the current provision of construction bitumen roads.

Ministry has further proposed to extend the rural housing programme - Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) - for all beneficiaries, BPL or APL, who have been displaced due to naxal violence.

The ministry has also proposed to introduce a slew of capacity building and human resource centric programmes in these areas, allowing for local deputation of personnel to increase the impact of personnel intensive schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Decision was also taken to set up para legal centers and institutions in these areas to facilitate easy and speedy resolution of land disputes in these areas.