Lok Sabha Question No. 892 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-21
Subject: Closure of Panchayati Raj Ministry
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: KAMAL NATH, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, SAUGATA ROY, JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, P.K.SREEMATHI TEACHER, BHOLA SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.892

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2016

## CLOSURE OF PANCHAYATI RAJ MINISTRY

## 892. SHRI KAMAL NATH:

SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN: PROF. SAUGATA ROY: SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRIMATI P.K. SREEMATHI TEACHER:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is any proposal to close the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) the details of budget allocation made for the Ministry and its utilisation in the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether the Government has discontinued two key programmes under the Ministry viz. Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) and Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA);
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether the  Union  Government's  efforts  to  discontinue  the  programmes  under the  Ministry  will affect the Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country, and if so, the details thereof and the steps proposed to be taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a): No, Madam.
- (b): Statement is enclosed as Annexe.
- (c)  &  (d):  The  Backward  Regions  Grant  Fund  Programme  (BRGF)  and  the  State  component  of  Rajiv Gandhi  Panchayat  Sashaktikaran  Abhiyan  (RGPSA)  were  delinked  from  the  Central  financial  support with effect from the financial year 2015-16. The States were requested to provide necessary support from their higher share of resources.
- (e): The  State  Governments  have  been  made  available  enhanced  fiscal  space  under  the  Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) award on account of higher devolution from 32% to 42% of the Centre's net tax receipts which the States can use to fund  the  requirements  of local bodies. The State Governments are also expected to transfer a certain percentage of their tax and non-tax revenues to local bodies as per recommendations of the State Finance Commissions. Besides, the Gram Panchayats have been allocated a grant of Rs.2,00,292.20 crore over a period 2015-20 under the FFC award for delivery of basic services, creation of reliable data base of local bodies' receipts & expenditure through audited accounts and for improvement of own source revenue of the Gram Panchayats.

## (Referred to in reply to Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.892 answered on 21.07.2016) Plan allocation and utilization from 2013-14 to 2016-17

(Rs. in crore)

| Sl.   |                                                                          | 2013-14        | 2013-14   | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2014-15   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2015-16   | 2015-16   | 2016-17                         |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| No .  |                                                                          | BE             | RE        | Actual    | BE        | RE        | Actual    | BE        | RE        | Actual    |                                 |
| 1     | Secretariat Economic Service (Management Cell, Plan)                     | 22.00          | 22.00     | 14.65     | 25.00     | 22.00     | 19.28     | 25.00     | 20.00     | 16.71     | Scheme transferred to Non- Plan |
| 2     | International Cooperation                                                | -              | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |           | -                               |
| a.    | Membership to International Local Governance Bodies(CLGF)- contribution) | 0.10           | 0.10      | 0.08      | 0.10      | 0.10      | 0.00      | 0.10      | 0.10      | 0.0       | 0.10                            |
| b.    | Projects assisted by UN Agencies                                         | 4.90           | 4.90      | 0.32      | 1.90      | 1.90      | 1.61      | 1.90      | 1.90      | 0.66      | 1.90                            |
| 3     | Media & Publicity                                                        | 15.00          | 15.00     | 14.42     | 20.00     | 10.00     | 5.52      | 05.00     | 5.00      | 4.99      | 8.00                            |
| 4     | Action Research &Research Studies.                                       | 3.00           | 3.00      | 2.18      | 3.00      | 2.00      | 0.65      | 2.00      | 2.00      | 0.62      | 15.00                           |
| 5     | Resource Support to State                                                | -              | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -                               |
| 6     | PMEYSA                                                                   | -              | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -                               |
| 7     | RBH                                                                      | -              | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -                               |
| 8     | RGPSA *                                                                  | 655.00         | 655.00    | 629.58    | 1050.00   | 527.00    | 525.64    | 360**     | 191.00    | 184.40    | 655.00* **                      |
| 10.   | Mission Mode Project on e- panchayat                                     |                |           |           |           |           |           |           |           |           | 22.00                           |
| 11.   | Incentivisation of Panchayats                                            |                |           |           |           |           |           |           |           |           | 38.00                           |
| 12    | ATMservices in Panchayat Bhawans                                         |                |           |           |           |           |           |           |           |           | 10.00                           |
| 13.   | e-Panchayats                                                             | -              | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         | -         |                                 |
| 14    | BRGF                                                                     | 6500.002800.00 |           | 2800.00   | 5900.00   | 2837.00   | 2819.26   | -         | -         | -         |                                 |
|       | Total                                                                    | 7200.0 0       | 3500.00   | 3461.23   | 7000.00   | 3400.00   | 3389.70   | 394.00    | 220.00    | 207.38    | 750.00                          |

Note: * From to 2015-16, the schemes of RGPSA (state component) and BRGF have been delinked from central support. The scheme RGPSA has been renamed as Capacity Building : Panchayat Sashakitkaran Abhiyan from 2016-17

**  Amount  of  Rs  360  crore  includes  Rs  300  crore  received  through  first  batch  of  supplementary  Grant.  From RGPSA's B.E 2015-16(Head:2515), Rs. 320.00 crore is for Central Components &  Rs.40 .00 crore for NE regions (Head:2552).

*** From RGPSA's B.E 2016-17(Head:2515), Rs. 580.00 crore is for Central Components &  Rs.75 .00 crore for NE regions (Head:2552).

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