Lok Sabha Question No. 95 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-18
Subject: Committee on RGSA
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: GANESH SINGH

## 95.   SHRI GANESH SINGH:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether a committee under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman-NITI Aayog has been constituted to restructure the existing centrally sponsored schemes of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA);
- (b)  if so, the details thereof along with the achievements made in this regard, State wise including  Madhya Pradesh as on date;
- (c)  whether the committee has held several meetings, consultations, etc. with various stakeholders and submitted its report with a set of recommendations which were accepted by the Government and formed the basis for the formulation of this scheme;
- (d)  if so, the detail of dissent note, if any; and
- (e)  whether NITI Aayog has identified the areas for implementation and monitoring of the activities of the said schemes and if so, the details thereof district-wise along with the representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and women?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE   MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

(a) & (b):  Yes, Madam.  A Committee under the chairmanship of Shri Arvind Panagariya, the former Vice Chairman,  NITI  Aayog  was  constituted  by  the  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  on  2 nd December,  2016  to restructure  the  existing  scheme  of  the  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  as  Rashtriya  Gram  Swaraj  Abhiyan (RGSA). The Terms of Reference of the Committee are at Annexure-I. The major recommendations made by the Committee are at Annexure-II.

Subsequent  to  the  recommendations  of  the  Committee,  the  Cabinet  Committee  on  Economic  Affairs accorded its approval for restructured Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) on 21.04.2018 for developing governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.  The implementation period of the Scheme effects from 01.04.2018 to 31.03.2022 at the total cost of Rs. 7255.50 crore with the Central Share of Rs. 4500 crore and that of State Share of Rs. 2755.50 crore  for all states and UTs including Madhya Pradesh.

(c) & (d): The Committee hold four meetings and submitted its report with a set of recommendations. The Committee  also co-opted several sector experts and held wide consultations with the Elected Representatives and Secretaries of Panchayati Raj Departments of selected States before arriving on its recommendations.  The  Committee  finally  submitted  its  report  to  the  Ministry  Panchayati  Raj  on 26.05.2017, which was accepted and became a basis for formulation of the proposed restructured scheme of RGSA.  None of the Members submitted any dissent Note.

(e)  The restructured RGSA scheme is, inter-alia, applicable for all States and UTs of the Country to address the  issues  related  to  Capacity  Building  and  Training  of  Elected  Representatives  of  Panchayati  Raj Institutions and other stakeholders. The scheme intents to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, with main thrust on convergence with Mission Antodaya, and emphasized on strengthening PRIs in the 115 Aspirational Districts. The CB&T activities under the scheme; inter- alia; focus on the issues relating to welfare of vulnerable sections/ Society in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION   NO. 95 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2018

## COMMITTEE ON RGSA

## The Terms of Reference of the Committee

1. Assess the effectiveness of the utilization of the FFC grants so far, and devise an effective Online Monitoring System for entire grants of Fourteenth Finance Commission to local bodies, keeping in view the key priorities of Government.
2. Assess Capacity building support for local bodies being provided by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj especially with regard to planning, monitoring, financial management and human resource polices of local bodies.
3. Examine  the  impact  of  the  Backward  Regions  Grant  Fund  (BRGF)  scheme  and  assess  its effectiveness.
4. Redesign the proposed Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) to address the objective of capacity  development  of  local  bodies  listed  above  and  for  effective  online  monitoring  of Fourteenth Finance Commission grants to local bodies.
5. Assess the performance of States with regard to Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) and look at their best practices so that the same could be incorporated in the Ministry's thrust for quality capacity development of Panchayats. Examine the follow up on State Finance Commission recommendations to strengthen Panchayati Raj.

## The major recommendations of the Committee

-  RGSA to be Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Central and State components with 60:40 sharing ratio for State component (90:10 for North East and Hill States) State components to include Trainings/workshops, administrative and technical support including e-enablement of GPs, and GP buildings/Community Centres.
-  Looking to human and financial constraints Capacity building thrust on GPs identified under scheme Mission Antyodaya along with PRI-ERs within 6 months of their election in any year, followed by focused trainings on specialized subjects like, e-enablement, participatory planning, leadership  roles  and  account  keeping.  Basic  trainings  programmes  of  minimum  2  days  and Refresher courses for PRIs within two years.
-  All training programmes for elected representatives and functionaries of PRIs under RGSA to be tracked using Aadhar.
-  Use of technology with smart phone based applications, online self-learning modules, social media, community radio, SATCOM for capacity building to address issues of ensuring reach for Capacity Building & Training to 3 million ERs and Panchayat Functionaries and supplementing face to face interactive trainings.
-  Use of media - both print and electronic, to expand outreach.
-  States to be provided assistance for getting professional support for e-enablement and bookkeeping.
-  States to be advised for conduct of trainings at places like District, Divisional, State levels or if required, sub-district level at venues with decent infrastructure to impart seriousness of exercise and trackability.
-  Training programmes to include participatory and infotainment capsules.
-  Periodic Performance Assessment of Training Programmes in States.
-  Exposure visits by PRI members to GPs with best practices be radically scaled up
-  NIRD&PR to be supported to ensure capacity building and training initiatives for PRIs including strengthening of human resources for Panchayati Raj in NIRD&PR, initiation of online courses for Master trainers including current and former PRI elected representatives and village level volunteers with provision of certificate from reputed academic institution on completion, quality training modules in partnerships with CBOs, academic institutions, Institutes of excellence and private sector.
-  Strengthening of SIRDs/PIRDs with Administrative and Financial Planning and Data Analysis Cell.
-  The Ministry of Panchayati Raj to set up a dedicated National Institute of Panchayati Raj with the  specific  mandate  of  strengthening  PRIs  in  order  for  them  to  fulfil  their  mandate  as empowered local bodies capable of desired service delivery at the grassroot level. The Institute will  be  an  apex  training  institution  at  national  level  for  imparting  training  to  Elected Representatives  and  functionaries  of  PRIs,  and  would  function  as  think  tank,  undertaking nationally coordinated policy research studies for scaling up best practices.
-  GP/GP cluster/District level focused handholding in convergence with SIRD/line department/private sector in developing capacities.
-  States to promote local volunteers for handholding

## Annexure-II

-  Flexibility  to  States  to  prepare  State  Specific  capacity  building  and  training  plans  without compromising on quality and monitoring
-  Promote Community and Corporate Sector led innovations
-  Training  components  to  encourage  low  cost  and  government-  community  cost  -sharing initiatives including social and gender issues.
-  Online GP wise reporting systems to be evolved by stakeholder Ministries starting with Mission Antyodaya GPs
-  Review for continuous scaling up of distance learning / gradual phasing out of physical trainings after 1 st phase of Mission Antyodaya
-  A  structured  Performance  Management  Unit  be  created  at  Central  level  to  oversee  the programme
-  Financial assistance to GPs prioritizing those covered under Mission Antyodaya for construction/repairing of GP buildings and Community Centers.
-  RGSA  to  include  provision  upto  a  maximum  limit  of  Rs.12  lakh  per  GP/  GP  cluster  for agriculture/drinking  water/sanitation  and  any  other  critical  sector  projects  for  economic development  of  GP/GP  cluster  including under  convergence, for  which  no  budgetary support/provision is available under any other scheme of Central or State Government
-  Ministry of Panchayati Raj to geotag all Panchayat Assets and mapping for the purpose of spatial planning  and  monitoring.  Aligning  with  geo-tagging  of  MGNREGS  assets  with  Ministry  of Rural Development or on stand-alone mode with NRSA be explored.
-  Incentivization in the form of annual awards based on relevant criteria in Mission Antyodaya as firmed up by M/o RD as also for reporting on trainings, preparation of GPDP and Fourteenth Finance Commission grants utilization
-  Reporting on trainings, GPDP preparation and FFC fund utilization to be criteria for applying for awards by PRIs
-  Budget enhancement for attractive financial incentives to States/ Zilla Panchayat/ Intermediate Panchayat/ States and supporting activities for economic development at GP/GP cluster level
-  Harmonizing of job profiles of GP and sub-GP level functionaries as in original proposal, on recommendations now being considered by Committee in M/o Rural Development
-  An advisory be given to States on adopting economically and administratively viable size on population criteria of Gram Panchayats/ Cluster GP approach.
-  A pilot project would be initiated by MoPR to extend ATM services in Panchayats to promote financial inclusion.
-  Inclusion of areas of non-Part-IX States and UTs in RGSA.
-  Mid-term review of scheme based on outcomes in 2019-20.