Lok Sabha Question No. 3201 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-03
Subject: Basic Amenities in Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: NIHAL CHAND CHAUHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3201

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2017

## Basic Amenities in Panchayats

## †3201. SHRI NIHAL CHAND

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- a) whether the Government has reviewed the basic amenities provided to Panchayats with a view to improving the standard of living in villages in the country;
- b) if so, the details thereof;
- c) whether certain States have failed to utilize the funds allocated for the purpose;
- d)   if so, the reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and
- e) the steps being taken by the Government for the empowerment of Panchayats along with the details of future action plan in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) : Panchayat being a State subject,  it is for the concerned  State Government to endow Panchayats  with  such  powers  and  authority  to  enable  them  to  function  as  institutions  of  selfgovernment  and  implement  schemes  for  economic  development  and  social  justice  including providing basic amenities to improve the standard of living in villages of  the country.

Under  the  Fourteenth  Finance  Commission  (FFC),  Rs.  2,00,292.20  crore  have  been allocated  to  the  Gram  Panchayats  constituted  under  Part  IX  of  the  Constitution  in  26  States, amounting to an assistance of  Rs. 488 per capita/ annum at an aggregate level  for the award period 2015-20, for delivering basic services including water supply, sanitation including septic management,  sewerage  and  solid  waste  management,  storm  water  drainage,  maintenance  of community assets, maintenance of roads,  footpaths  and  street-lighting,  and  burial  and  cremation grounds,  and  any  other  basic  service  within  the  functions  assigned  to  them  under  relevant legislations, creation of reliable data base of local bodies' receipts & expenditure through audited accounts and for improvement of own source revenue.  The FFC funds are expected to improve the living conditions of the people in the rural areas as these relate to the provision of basic services and other essential infrastructure for the people in the villages.

The State-wise total allocation and release under FFC award to the Panchayats during 201516, 2016-17 and 2017-18 (till 31.07.2018) are given at Annexure.

(c)  &  (d):  The  funds  are  devolved  to  Gram  Panchayats  as  grants.  States  are  required  to  furnish certificate of transfer of the grants to the Gram Panchayats within the specified time limit of fifteen days or payment of penal interest for the delayed period to be eligible to draw the next installment of grants. After the receipt of fund from the Central Government, States have transferred the fund to Gram Panchayats for utilization.

Ministry of Finance (MoF) guidelines dated 08.10.2015 enjoin upon States to constitute a High  Level  Monitoring  Committee  (HLMC)  headed  by  Chief  Secretary  for  monitoring  and concurrent  evaluation  of  local  bodies  and  to  ensure  that  funds  are  utilized  for  the  purpose recommended  by  the  FFC.  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  (MoPR)  has  constituted  a  Coordination Committee  under  the  Secretary,  Panchayati  Raj  to  inter-alia  guide  and  support  States  and  local bodies in the implementation of FFC recommendations, monitor progress of expenditure of grants by local bodies and suggest remedial measures, if needed.

(e)  :  The  Ministry,  under  the  scheme  of  Rashtriya  Gram  Swaraj  Abhiyan  (RGSA)/  Capacity Building-Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (CB-PSA)  [erstwhile scheme of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA)] has been providing financial and technical support to the states for Capacity Building and Training (CB&T) of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions  with  focus  on  Gram  Panchayat  Development  Plan  (GPDP)  so  as  to  enable  them  to discharge their mandated functions effectively. Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) applications have been developed by the Ministry to cater to various aspects of Panchayats' functioning including planning, budgeting, implementation, accounting, monitoring, social audit and delivery of citizen services.  Ministry  has  also  organized  strategic  workshops  for  sharing  of  best  practices  in Panchayats across states.

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## Annexure

## (Referred to in reply to Part (a & b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3201 answered on 03.08.2017)

## Allocation and Release of grants to rural local bodies under Fourteenth Finance Commission award for the years 2015-16 to 2017-18   (as on 31.7.2017)

(Rs. in crore)

| Sl. No.   | State             | 2015-16    | 2015-16   | 2016-17    | 2016-17   | 2017-18    | 2017-18   |
|-----------|-------------------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| Sl. No.   | State             | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   |
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh    | 934.34     | 928.41    | 1463.45    | 1454.05   | 1686.85    | 0.000     |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh | 88.52      | 88.52     | 138.66     | 77.37     | 159.82     | 0.000     |
| 3.        | Assam             | 584.80     | 584.80    | 915.98     | 106.22    | 1055.80    | 0.000     |
| 4.        | Bihar             | 2269.18    | 2269.18   | 3554.23    | 3142.08   | 4096.80    | 1815.195  |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh      | 566.18     | 566.18    | 886.82     | 886.82    | 1022.18    | 452.905   |
| 6.        | Goa               | 14.44      | 14.44     | 22.62      | 12.62     | 26.07      | 0.000     |
| 7.        | Gujarat           | 932.25     | 932.25    | 1460.18    | 1460.18   | 1683.08    | 745.735   |
| 8.        | Haryana           | 419.28     | 419.28    | 656.72     | 656.72    | 756.98     | 335.400   |
| 9.        | Himachal Pradesh  | 195.39     | 195.39    | 306.05     | 306.05    | 352.76     | 156.300   |
| 10.       | J&K               | 373.96     | 367.72    | 585.73     | 66.79     | 675.15     | 0.000     |
| 11.       | Jharkhand         | 652.83     | 652.83    | 1022.53    | 1022.53   | 1178.63    | 522.225   |
| 12.       | Karnataka         | 1002.85    | 972.36    | 1570.77    | 1547.66   | 1810.55    | 790.220   |
| 13.       | Kerala            | 433.76     | 433.76    | 679.40     | 679.39    | 783.12     | 346.980   |
| 14.       | M.P               | 1463.61    | 1463.61   | 2292.46    | 2292.46   | 2642.40    | 1170.785  |
| 15.       | Maharashtra       | 1623.32    | 1623.32   | 2542.61    | 2542.61   | 2930.76    | 1298.550  |
| 16.       | Manipur           | 22.25      | 22.25     | 34.84      | 34.84     | 40.16      | 0.000     |
| 17.       | Odisha            | 955.52     | 955.52    | 1496.64    | 1496.64   | 1725.11    | 764.355   |
| 18.       | Punjab            | 441.70     | 441.70    | 691.84     | 386.04    | 797.45     | 0.000     |
| 19.       | Rajasthan         | 1471.95    | 1471.95   | 2305.52    | 2305.52   | 2657.47    | 1177.460  |
| 20.       | Sikkim            | 16.03      | 16.04     | 25.11      | 25.11     | 28.95      | 0.000     |
| 21.       | Tamil Nadu        | 947.65     | 947.65    | 1484.31    | 1484.31   | 1710.90    | 0.000     |
| 22.       | Telangana         | 580.34     | 580.34    | 908.99     | 908.99    | 1047.75    | 464.235   |
| 23.       | Tripura           | 36.24      | 36.24     | 56.76      | 56.76     | 65.43      | 28.990    |
| 24.       | U. P              | 3862.60    | 3852.60   | 6050.02    | 6034.33   | 6973.57    | 0.000     |
| 25.       | Uttarakhand       | 203.26     | 203.26    | 318.37     | 318.37    | 366.97     | 162.595   |
| 26.       | W. Bengal         | 1532.21    | 1470.86   | 2399.91    | 2319.48   | 2766.26    | 0.000     |
|           | Total             | 21624.46   | 21510.46  | 33870.52   | 31623.94  | 39040.97   | 10231.93  |

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