Lok Sabha Question No. 208 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Vanbandhu Klayan Yojana in Maharashtra
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 208

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## VANBANDHU KLAYAN YOJANA IN MAHARASHTRA

## 208. SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the salient features of Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana;
- (b) whether the Government has received any proposal under Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub  Scheme  and  Vanbandhu  Kalyan  Yojana  from  Maharashtra  including  Nagpur  and Amaravati Region from the year 2015-16 to 2020-21;
- (c)  if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  the proposal and date-wise present status of the said proposals;
- (e)  whether the said proposals are still lying pending with the Government for approval; and
- (f) if  so,  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  time  by  which  funds  are  likely  to  be  released  after approving the said proposals?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

(a):  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA)  launched  the  scheme  of  'Vanbandhu  Kalyan  Yojana (VKY)' on 28.10.2014 for holistic development of tribal people across the country. The VKY was adopted as a strategic process, which envisaged to ensure delivery of goods and services to the tribal  population across the country with outcome-oriented approach while striking at the critical  gaps  through  appropriate  convergence  of  resources  and  institutional  mechanism. Following 14 thematic areas were included under VKY:

- i. Qualitative and sustainable employment.
- ii. Emphasis on quality education & higher education.
- iii. Accelerated economic development of tribal areas.
- iv. Health for all.
- v. Housing for all.
- vi. Safe drinking water for all at doorsteps.
- vii. Irrigation facilities suited to the terrain.
- viii. All weather roads with connectivity to the nearby town/cities.
- ix. Universal availability of electricity.
- x. Urban development.
- xi. Robust institutional mechanism to roll the vehicle of development with sustainability.
- xii. Promotion and conservation of Tribal Cultural Heritage.
- xiii. Promotion of Sports in Tribal Areas.
- xiv. Security.

During the financial year 2014-15, an amount of Rs. 100.00 crore was allocated under VKY. Out of the total budgetary allocation, an amount of Rs. 10.00 Crores were provided to each of the ten States having Schedule V areas as gap filling for carrying out activities commensurating the objective of the Scheme.  During the financial year 2015-16, the gamut of the Scheme was extended to cover all the States having tribal population. Out of the total budgetary allocation to the tune of Rs. 200.00 Crore, funds were released to 21 States against their proposed activities. No fund could be allocated / released to the remaining six States viz. Manipur, Meghalaya, Goa, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh due to want of perspective plan and utilization certificate. During 2016-17, token provision of Rs. 1.00 crore was released to State Government of Rajasthan. Since 2016-17, separate allocation of funds under VKY has been discontinued and it has been envisaged that the fund requirement under the VKY strategy will be fulfilled out of the TSP [now called as Schedule Tribe Component (STC) at central level] funds, which caters to sectoral development, including support for education, health, power, roads, sanitation, water supply, livelihood etc.

Further, as part of rationalization of Schemes, convergence of schemes / interventions of Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  has  been  effected,  including  the  following,  as  an  Umbrella Programme of Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana:

- (i) Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
- (ii) Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce.
- (iii) Tribal Festivals, Research Information and Mass Education
- (iv) Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS)

(b)  to  (f)  Receipt  of  proposals  from  States  including  Maharashtra  under  various  schemes  of MoTA including 'Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana''and 'Special Central Assistance to Tribal Subscheme (SCA to TSS)' is a continuous process. The proposals consist of various projects relating to Education, Health& Sanitation, Drinking water, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Connectivity, Skill Development etc. Consideration of such projects for approval followed by release of funds to the States are made keeping in view the fund availability in the respective scheme(s), schematic norms, submission of utilization certificate (UC) & physical progress report (PPR)  by  the  States  and  other  relevant  financial  instructions  in  vogue.  The  details  of  funds released to the State Government of Maharashtra under the scheme of Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana during 2015-16 and under the scheme of Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-scheme (SCA to TSS) during 2016-17 to 2020-21 are as under:

(Rs. in lakh)

| Name of Scheme                                               |   2015-16 | 2016-17   | 2017-18   | 2018-19   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana                                      |    1400   | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |
| Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS) |   12514.9 | 9547.00   | 13760.38  | 13802.57  | 11929.09  | *0.00     |
| Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups         |       0   | 2077.00   | 1226.25   | 1230.26   | 2510.00   | 1411.66   |