Lok Sabha Question No. 2344 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-03
Subject: Identification of Most Backward Blocks in Odisha
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jual Oram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2344

ANSWERED ON 03/08/2021

## IDENTIFICATION OF MOST BACKWARD BLOCKS IN ODISHA

## 2344.   SHRI JUAL ORAM:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has identified the most backward blocks in the country, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether it is true that a number of blocks in the State of Odisha have still not made any progress; and
- (c) if so, the specific action plan drawn up to develop those blocks at par with properly developed blocks, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a): No  exercise  for  identification  of  most  backward  blocks  have  been  done  by  the  Central Government as per information received from NITI Aayog, though it has advised and encouraged the States  to  use  the  template  of  the  on-going  Aspirational  Districts  Programme  for  identification  and rapid development of backward blocks. NITI Aayog has also informed that as per information made available by the State Governments, Madhya Pradesh, UT of Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Tripura, Maharashtra,  Gujarat  and  Nagaland  have  identified  the  backward  blocks  and  indicators  for monitoring  them,  based  on  the  template  of  the  Aspirational  Districts  Programme.    No  such information is available with NITI Aayog about identification of most backward blocks in Odisha and monitoring of the progress in the State of Odisha.

(b)  &  (c):  No,  Sir.  Under  the  Aspirational  Districts  Programme  of  NITI  Aayog,  10  districts  of Odisha, namely Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Rayagada, Balangir, Gajapati, Kandhamal,  Koraput  and  Nabrangpur  are  being  regularly  monitored  on  49  Key  Performance Indicators across 5 sectors, namely, Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure. As of January 2021, all the 10 Aspirational Districts in Odisha have shown improvement in all sectors since the inception of the Programme.  Since  performance  of  a  district  is  reflective  of  the  performance  of  the  blocks  that constitute  a  district,  development  process  in  different  blocks  under  Aspirational  Districts  have accelerated.

Apart  from  this,  Department  of  Rural  Development  is  also  implementing  a  number  of schemes/  programmes  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  Livelihood  Mission  (DAYNRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), Rural Self Employment Training  Institutes  (RSETI)  and  Shyama  Prasad  Mukharjee  Rurban  Mission  (SPMRM)  for  the development of Rural areas of the country including the backwards blocks of Odisha.