Lok Sabha Question No. 2437 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-13
Subject: Protection of Small Investors in Rural Areas
Ministry: CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Asked by: Bhagwant Mann

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2437

ANSWERED ON MONDAY, THE 13 th  DECEMBER, 2021

AGRAHAYANA 22, 1943 (SAKA)

PROTECTION OF SMALL INVESTORS IN RURAL AREAS QUESTION

2437.  SHRI BHAGWANT MANN:

Will the Minister of CORPORATE AFFAIRS

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  fact  that  the  Government  has  a  special  plan  to  increase investment in rural areas in the Punjab including Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any measures to spread awareness and protect  small  investors  in  the  country  including  Sri  Ganganagar  district  of
- Rajasthan; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION;  MINISTER  OF  STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF

STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

[RAO INDERJIT SINGH]

(a) to (c):- Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Rural Development, Policy, Planning and Monitoring Division vide OM dated 09.02.21 has stated that the Ministry of Rural Development is implementing  a number of welfare schemes for rural areas of the country viz., Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana -Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Deendayal Antyodaya  Yojana -National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NRLM),  Deen Dayal Upadhayay -Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment  and  Training  Institutes  (RSETIs),  National  Social  Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) to bring about overall development of rural areas, providing basic amenities and facilities like providing pucca house, all weather road connectivity, strengthening of livelihood opportunities, providing minimum guaranteed rural employment,  promoting  self-employment,  skilling  of  rural  youths  in  various useful trades and entrepreneurship qualities, infrastructure development and provision of social assistance. The  Government  of  India  as  a  part  of  poverty  reduction  strategy  launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to improve rural connectivity to provide access to economic and social services to rural population. A total of 8,333  Km  road  length  has  been  constructed  under  various  interventions  of PMGSY  in  the  State  of  Punjab  as  on  9th  December,  2021.  In  the  State  of Rajasthan,  a  total  of  71,274  Km  road  length  has  been  constructed.  In  Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, 1,012 Km road length has been constructed as on 9th December, 2021. The construction/upgradation of roads under PMGSY in  these  areas  under  various  interventions/verticals  of  PMGSY  has,  among others, led to opening the door for economic opportunities in these areas. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Schedule I, Para 4(1), IV. Category D, rural infrastructure works permissible such as works related to rural sanitation, Anganwadi toilets either independently or in convergence with schemes of other Government Departments, construction of play fields, construction of pucca internal roads or streets including side drains and culverts within a villages, construction of buildings for Gram Panchayats, cyclone shelters, Anganwadi centres, village haats and crematoria at the village or block level, construction of Food Grain Storage are done. The  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  implementing  Pradhan  Mantri  Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) with effect from 1st April, 2016 to provide assistance to eligible rural households for construction of 2.95 crore Pucca houses with basic amenities to achieve the objective of "Housing for All'. Under PMAY-G, the beneficiaries are provided unit assistance of Rs. 1.20 lakhs in plain areas and Rs. 1.30 lakhs in difficult areas, IP districts and Hilly areas for construction of house. The scheme is being implemented in all the States and UTs of India except in Chandigarh, Delhi, Puducherry and Telangana (including Punjab and Rajasthan).  At  present  there  is  no  such  proposal  under  consideration  to increase the investment. One of the Rural Development schemes under implementation in the State of

Rajasthan  and  Punjab  is  Shyama  Prasad  Mukherji  Rurban  Mission  (SPMRM).

- SPMRM is a unique programme, designed to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas experiencing rapid growth. SPMRM is based on the understanding that in rural areas, a cluster of villages showing growth potential and urbanizing characteristics can be treated as an integrated unit leading to opportunities for growth and economic development far beyond that of individual villages. The main objectives of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) are to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters. Under SPMRM, the State of Punjab has total eight Rurban clusters. There is no Rurban cluster in the district Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. 2.   Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs vide their OM dated 09.12.2021 has stated that SEBI undertakes various investor education and awareness  activities  to  create  awareness  on  relevant  issues  in  securities market and to protect the interests of investors in securities market. Investor awareness programs/ workshops are conducted by SEBI in association with Stock Exchanges,  Commodity  Derivatives  Exchanges  and  Depositories. Further, SEBI recognized Investor Associations and Commodities Derivatives Trainers also conduct investor awareness programs across the country. During such programs investor are made aware of basic aspects of securities market, precautions  to  be  taken  while  investing  in  securities  market,  Rights  and obligations of  investors,  Dos  and  Don'ts  of  investing,  grievance  redressal mechanism in the securities market, etc. During F.Y. 202021, SEBI launched a new program 'Securities Market Trainers (SMARTs)'  for  enhancing  SEBI's  Investor  Education  activities.  SEBI  has empanelled 168 number of SMARTs and till November 30, 2021, these SMARTs have conducted 1,024 investor awareness programs. SEBI's  programs  are  conducted  for  various  sections  of  society  across  the country  including  Punjab  and  Rajasthan.  All  the  education  and  awareness programs are free for the participants.  Due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic all the  investor  awareness  programs  have  been  conducted  through  webinars since March 2020. 3.   In order to increase investor awareness among larger number of people, SEBI  also  carries  out  mass  media  campaign  giving  relevant  messages  to SMSs/Digital
- investors through popular media (TV/ Radio/Print/bulk media/cinema). Recently, a mass media campaign on unsolicited investment

tips was conducted during January-March 2021. The campaign was undertaken to caution investors about unsolicited investment tips received through SMS so as to safeguard investors from getting lured into promise of unrealistic returns. The campaign was carried out through TV, Print, Radio and Digital modes including SMS. Considering the increase in number of new investors in the securities market, SEBI has enhanced the investor awareness initiatives along with the Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) targeting new investors. 4.   Further, Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) of this Ministry  is  mandated  to  take  steps  for  promotion  of  Investors'  education, awareness and protection under section 125(3)(b) of Companies Act, 2013. IEPFA in collaboration with Partner institutes organizes Investor Awareness Programmes  across  the  country  in  rural  areas  through  Common  Service Centers, Semi-Urban Areas through Nehru Yuva Kendra & India Post Payments Bank including Post Offices and Urban areas through Professional Institutes viz. ICAI, ICSI, ICoAI etc.  Till date more than 61, 857 such programs have been conducted across 599 Districts of 30 States & Union territories to make the participants  aware  of  Do's  and  Don't  while  making  any  investment  and  to sensitize them about various fraudulent and Ponzi Schemes.  The programme material  is  provided  through  handbook  and  audio  visual  means  in  various languages.  In addition, various awareness campaigns are run on Doordarshan and All India Radio including awareness scroll messages, jingles, talk shows etc. from time to time.

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