Lok Sabha Question No. 593 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Aspirational Blocks Programme
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Kripanath Mallah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 593 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2023

## ASPIRATIONAL BLOCKS PROGRAMME

## 593. SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to launch the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) within the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the funds estimated for this programme;
- (c) the details of the number of States likely to be covered under this programme initially;
- (d) whether the Government has identified locations likely to be covered under this programme in the country and if so, the details of the locations identified within Assam; and
- (e) the details of the target set under this programme and the time by which it is likely to be implemented?

## 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) Yes Sir, the Aspirational Blocks Programme was launched on 7th January 2023 by Govt of India and  is  anchored  by  NITI  Aayog.  The  Aspirational  Blocks  Programme  is  a  nationwide programme covering 500 blocks which focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens in the most difficult and underdeveloped blocks of India by converging existing schemes, defining outcomes, and monitoring them on a constant basis.
- (b) The main strategy of the Aspirational Blocks Programme is based on convergence of existing schemes which have their own funding arrangement. However, an amount of Rs. 100 crores have been  approved  by  the  Department  of  Expenditure  for  the  Financial  Year  2023-24  for  various activities under the Aspirational Blocks Programme.

- (c) The Aspirational Blocks Programme is a nationwide programme. It covers 27 States and 4 Union Territories. A list of the States/ UTs part of the programme is provided at Annexure I.
- (d) Yes  Sir,  the  blocks  to  be  covered  under  the  Programme  have  been  identified  by  an  InterMinisterial  Committee  in  consultation  with  the  States/UTs.  The  details  of  the  20  blocks identified in Assam are provided in Annexure II.
- (e) The  Programme  has  a  list  of  indicators  under  the  themes  such  as  Health  and  Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Allied Services, Basic Infrastructure, and Social Development, on the basis of which the progress made by blocks are to be monitored. The programme envisions that the  Aspirational  Blocks  would  surpass  the  State/UT  average  and  National  average  of  these indicators in a time bound manner.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) of LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 593 FOR 06.12.2023 REGARDING ASPIRATIONAL BLOCKS PROGRAMME BY SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH :

## List of States/ UTs under the Aspirational Blocks Programme

| S.No.   | Name of the State/ UT   |
|---------|-------------------------|
| States  | States                  |
| 1.      | Andhra Pradesh          |
| 2.      | Arunachal Pradesh       |
| 3.      | Assam                   |
| 4.      | Bihar                   |
| 5.      | Chhattisgarh            |
| 6.      | Gujarat                 |
| 7.      | Haryana                 |
| 8.      | Himachal Pradesh        |
| 9.      | Jharkhand               |
| 10.     | Karnataka               |
| 11.     | Kerala                  |
| 12.     | Madhya Pradesh          |
| 13.     | Maharashtra             |
| 14.     | Manipur                 |
| 15.     | Meghalaya               |
| 16.     | Mizoram                 |
| 17.     | Nagaland                |
| 18.     | Odisha                  |
| 19.     | Punjab                  |
| 20.     | Rajasthan               |

| 21.               | Sikkim                             |
|-------------------|------------------------------------|
| 22.               | Tamil Nadu                         |
| 23.               | Telangana                          |
| 24.               | Tripura                            |
| 25.               | Uttar Pradesh                      |
| 26.               | Uttarakhand                        |
| 27.               | West Bengal                        |
| Union Territories | Union Territories                  |
| 28.               | Andaman &Nicobar Islands           |
| 29.               | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |
| 30.               | Jammu and Kashmir                  |
| 31.               | Ladakh                             |

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) of LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 593 FOR 06.12.2023 REGARDING ASPIRATIONAL BLOCKS PROGRAMME BY SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH :

## List of Blocks Selected in the State of Assam

|   S.No. | State   | District         | Block            |
|---------|---------|------------------|------------------|
|       1 | Assam   | Baksa (Tamulpur) | Tamulpur         |
|       2 | Assam   | Barpeta          | Mandia           |
|       3 | Assam   | Darrang          | Pub-Mangaldai    |
|       4 | Assam   | Dhubri           | Birshing-Jarua   |
|       5 | Assam   | Goalpara         | Lakhipur         |
|       6 | Assam   | Hailakandi       | South Hailakandi |
|       7 | Assam   | Udalguri         | Bhergaon         |
|       8 | Assam   | Cachar           | Lakhipur         |
|       9 | Assam   | Dhemaji          | Murgkongselek    |
|      10 | Assam   | Dima Hasao       | Diyang Valley    |
|      11 | Assam   | Dima Hasao       | Diyungbra        |
|      12 | Assam   | Dima Hasao       | Jatinga Valley   |
|      13 | Assam   | Dima Hasao       | New Sangbar      |
|      14 | Assam   | Karbi Anglong    | Nilip            |
|      15 | Assam   | Karbi Anglong    | Rongmongwe       |
|      16 | Assam   | Karbi Anglong    | Samelangso       |
|      17 | Assam   | Ss Mankachar     | Fekamari         |

|   18. | West Karbi Anglong   | Amri      |
|-------|----------------------|-----------|
|    19 | West Karbi Anglong   | Chinthong |
|    20 | West Karbi Anglong   | Socheng   |

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