Lok Sabha Question No. 906 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-07
Subject: Backward Region Grant Fund
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: RITI PATHAK, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, DEVAJIBHAI GOVINDBHAI FATEPARA, MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVNTHI), JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. † 906 ANSWERED ON 07.02.2019

## BACKWARD REGION GRANT FUND

†906.   SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

SHRI DEVAJIBHAI G. FATEPARA:

SHRI MUTHAMSETTI SRINIVASA RAO (AVANTHI):

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

(a)  the  name of the districts covered under Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jammu-Kashmir;

- (b) the details of funds allocated and released to the Governments of these States under BRGF during each of the last three years and current year, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to revise/amend the guidelines for inclusion of backward region under BRGF particularly for Jammu and Kashmir;
- (d) whether there is a provision for district-wise allocation of funds from BRGF and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether district-wise scheme is also formulated for proper utilisation of these funds and if so, the details thereof;
- (f)  whether  the  local  public  representatives  are  included  in  the  monitoring  committee  for monitoring of works undertaken under BRGF and if so, the details thereof; and
- (g) the other measures taken for the monitoring and proper utilisation of funds under BRGF?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The  names  of  the  districts  which  were  covered  under  the  of  Backward  Regions  Grant Fund  (BRGF)  Programme  (District  component)  in  the  States  of  Madhya  Pradesh,  Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir are at Annexure .

(b) Consequent upon the implementation of the recommendations of the Fourteenth Finance Commission,  share  of  States  in  the  net  proceeds  of  the  Union  taxes  has  been  significantly enhanced from 32% to 42% of the Centre's net tax receipts. This enhanced the availability of funds  with  the  States  allowing  them  greater  autonomy  for  financing  and  designing  the developmental  schemes,  especially  for  the  backward  regions.  Hence,  BRGF  Programme  has been delinked from the budgetary support of the Central Government  since 2015-16. Accordingly, no fund under BRGF has been allocated/ released to any state including the States of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir since 2015-16.

(c) As the BRGF Programme has been delinked from the budgetary support of the Central Government since 2015-16, there is no proposal to revise/amend the guidelines for inclusion of backward region under BRGF particularly for Jammu & Kashmir.

(d) to (g) Previously, under the BRGF Programme (District component), Ministry of Panchayati Raj  (MoPR)  released  funds  to  the  State  Governments  concerned  for  onward  transfer  to  the identified backward districts. Audit of works through a Review Committee at District Level and Social  Audit  at  the  Panchayat  levels  was  also  provisioned.  However,  since  BRGF  programme was delinked from Budgetary support of the Central Government with effect from 2015-16, there have been no releases.

*****

## Annexure

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 906 answered on 07.02.2019

## Districts covered under BRGF Programme in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir

| State          |   Sl. No. | Name of the district   |
|----------------|-----------|------------------------|
| Madhya Pradesh |         1 | Alirajpur              |
|                |         2 | Anuppur                |
|                |         3 | Ashoknagar             |
|                |         4 | Balaghat               |
|                |         5 | Barwani                |
|                |         6 | Betul                  |
|                |         7 | Burhanpur              |
|                |         8 | Chhattarpur            |
|                |         9 | Chhindwara             |
|                |        10 | Damoh                  |
|                |        11 | Dhar                   |
|                |        12 | Dindori                |
|                |        13 | Guna                   |
|                |        14 | Jhabua                 |
|                |        15 | Katni                  |
|                |        16 | Khandwa                |
|                |        17 | Khargone               |
|                |        18 | Mandla                 |
|                |        19 | Panna                  |
|                |        20 | Rajgarh                |
|                |        21 | Rewa                   |
|                |        22 | Satna                  |
|                |        23 | Seoni                  |
|                |        24 | Shahdol                |
|                |        25 | Sheopur                |

|                |   26 | Shivpuri      |
|----------------|------|---------------|
|                |   27 | Sidhi         |
|                |   28 | Singrauli     |
|                |   29 | Tikamgarh     |
|                |   30 | Umaria        |
| Gujarat        |    1 | Banas Khantha |
|                |    2 | Dahod         |
|                |    3 | Dang          |
|                |    4 | Narmada       |
|                |    5 | Panchmahal    |
|                |    6 | Sabar Kantha  |
| Maharashtra    |    1 | Ahmednagar    |
|                |    2 | Amravati      |
|                |    3 | Aurangabad    |
|                |    4 | Bhandara      |
|                |    5 | Chandrapur    |
|                |    6 | Dhule         |
|                |    7 | Gadchiroli    |
|                |    8 | Gondia        |
|                |    9 | Hingoli       |
|                |   10 | Nanded        |
|                |   11 | Nandurbar     |
|                |   12 | Yavatmal      |
| Jammu &Kashmir |    1 | Doda          |
|                |    2 | Kishtwar      |
|                |    3 | Kupwara       |
|                |    4 | Poonch        |
|                |    5 | Ramban        |

*****