Lok Sabha Question No. 2359 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Rural Development Programme for Border Villages
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Gurjeet Singh Aujla

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2359 ANSWERED ON 10/12/2024

## RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR BORDER VILLAGES

## 2359. SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) the details of grants for the development of sanitation infrastructure,  including  the  construction  of  more  toilets  in villages  and  rural  areas,  along  with  measures  to  ensure cleanliness and maintenance;
- (b) the details of initiatives to improve rural connectivity through better  road  networks,  ensuring  seamless  access  to  essential services and economic opportunities; and
- (c) the  details  of  steps  taken  to  accelerate  rural  development programmes to uplift the living standards of people in border villages, including enhanced infrastructure, housing and livelihood opportunities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a):       As reported by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] has been launched with effect from 1st April, 2020 for a period of 5 years with the objective to sustain the Open Defecation  Free  (ODF)  status  of  villages  and  to  cover  all  villages with  Solid  and  Liquid  Waste  Management  (SLWM)  and  visually clean. Central share released under Swachh  Bharat MissionGrameen  [SBM(G)]  during  last  3  years  and  current  years  are  as under :-

| Year          |   Centre share release (Rs. In crore) |
|---------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2021-22       |                               3111.37 |
| 2022-23       |                               4925.14 |
| 2023-24       |                               6802.58 |
| 2024-25 (Upto |                               1869.6  |

30.11.2024)

The following measures have been taken for SLWM under SBM(G):-

-  Greywater  management  is  done  through  soak  pits,  wherever possible, or through other technologies such as Waste Stabilization Ponds, Constructed Wetlands, Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS), etc,
-  Arrangement for Solid Waste Management(SWM) i.e.-Biodegradable  and  non-biodegradable  system  for  Household  and for all public Places (including the primary schools, PanchayatGhar and Anganwadi canter). SWM system includes Collection, Transportation, Segregation, Storage, and management of SWM.
-  Plastic Waste Management Unit) at block/district level
-  Faecal Sludge Management (FSM)

In addition to this, in order to achieve the target of 'Housing for All' in  rural  areas,  the  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  implementing Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) with effect from 1st April 2016 to provide assistance to eligible rural households.  Since inception  under  PMAY-G  beneficiaries  has  been  provided  financial Assistance of Rs.1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs.1.30 lakh in Northeastern States, and Hill states  of  Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand ,UTs of Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Ladakh.  In  addition to this, assistance of Rs.12,000/- is also extended for construction of toilets through convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission  - Gramin (SBMG), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)  or  any  other  dedicated  source  of  funding.   Under MGNREGS,  around  56.81  lakh  individual  toilets,  around  1.4  lakh schools  and  Anganwadi  toilets  and  0.64  lakh  Community  Sanitary Complexes have been completed so far.

(b):        Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  SadakYojana  (PMGSY)  under  this Ministry is a one-time special intervention of Government of India to provide  rural  connectivity,  by  way  of  a  single  all-weather  road,  to the  eligible  unconnected  habitations  in  the  core  network.   It  was launched  in  the  year  2000  as  a  measure  towards  alleviation  of poverty in rural areas by providing access to basic services to the rural population by providing them good quality roads. Subsequently,  new  intervention/verticals  namely  PMGSY-II,  Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA) and PMGSY-III were added under the ambit of PMGSY for upgradation of rural roads and construction of strategically important roads in Left Wing Extremist (LWE) Areas. Since inception till 05.12.2024, a total

of  8,28,533  km  road  length  has  been  sanctioned,   out  of  which 7,69,128 Km  road  length has been  completed   under  various interventions/works of PMGSY.  PMGSY has helped in better access of market place for the rural masses and generated employments in various  forms.  It  has  also  helped  in  improving  socio-  economic conditions of the people living around the area. Thus, it has helped in removing poverty and unemployment.

- (c):       As  informed  by  the  Department  of  Border  Management, Ministry of Home  Affairs, it is implementing Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) and Border Area Development Programme (BADP) for  development  of  villages/habitations  in  border  areas.  VVP  is  a Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  approved  on  15 th   February,  2023  for comprehensive  development  of  the  select  villages  in  46  blocks abutting northern border in 19 districts in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh. Under the programme the road component of VVP, 113 road projects and 08 Long Span Bridge (LSB) projects worth Rs.2420.89 crore  to  connect  136  unconnected  villages  in  Arunachal  Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand have been sanctioned.  Under the Programme,  51  projects  have  been  sanctioned/considered  under their  Annual  Implementation  Plan  (AIP)  2023-24  for  the  concerned States/UT  by  the  Department  of  Drinking  Water  &  Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti under convergence with cost as per guidelines of Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM).

BADP is implemented in all villages/semi-urban/urban habitations, having Local Government Directory (LGD) code, located within 0-10 kms. (aerial/crow fly) from first habitation on international  land  borders  in  456  blocks  of  117  districts  in  the  16 States and 2 UTs sharing land borders. As per available information with the Department of Border Management, 291 works/projects of estimated cost Rs.23.80 crore for construction of toilets in school & other  places  and  729  works/projects  of  estimated  cost  Rs.115.31 crore  for  sanitation  have  been  sanctioned  under  BADP. 12281 works/projects of Roads and Bridges of estimated cost Rs.4302.44 crore  have  been  sanctioned  under  BADP.  Apart  from  the  above, 13583  works/projects  of  estimated  cost  of  Rs.2288.75  crore  have been sanctioned in health, education, agriculture, sports, livelihood and social sector under BADP.

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