Lok Sabha Question No. 2007 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-10
Subject: Improvement in Rural Life
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2007 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2015

## IMPROVEMENT IN RURAL LIFE

## 2007. SHRI RAYAPATI SAMBASIVA RAO :

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the major issues highlighted about the Ministry in the 12th Five Year Plan about much needed whole some improvement in the life of rural people;
- (b) whetherhis Ministry has incorporated and integrated the points highlighted 12th Plan;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether there is any monitoring cell to oversee that his Ministry is moving tandem with the 12th Five Year Plan; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI BIRENDER SINGH)

(a) to (c ) : The 12 th Five Year Plan aims at faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth.Various  initiatives have  beenproposed in  the  12 th Five  Year  Plan on  rural development  programmes  so  as  to  improve  the  quality of  life of  rural  people. These include e xpansion of list of permissible works underMahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ( MGNREGA ) ; s trengthening  the demand - driven character of MGNREGA; reducing delay in wage payments; better social audits, Vigilance and Grievance  Redressal; m odification  in  the  guidelines  of National  Rural  Livelihood Mission( NRLM ) to make it more effective and sustainable; supporting rural youth for skill  development  and  placement; nhancement  of  unit  cost  assistance  under Indira AwaasYojana ( IAY ) ;smoother transfer of fund to States and connecting villages with all weather road.

The steps taken by the Ministry in this direction are:

- (i) New works have been added to the existing list of permissible works unde Mahatma  Gandhi  NREGA  with  a  focus  on  s trengthening  synergy  between MG NREGA and rurallivelihoods, particularly in agriculture.
- (ii) Participatory  bottom -up  planning  for  the  preparation  of  Labour  Budget  is done under MG N REGA.
- (iii) To reduce delay in the payment of wages the Ministry has initiated Electro Fund Management System (e - FMS)
- (iv) The  guidel ines  of  the  NRLM  was amended  for  improved  targeting of beneficiaries by identifying the target group through a process Participatory Identification of Poor (P.I.P). The NRLM is being implement in a phased manner to cover all the blocks in the country over a period of 7 -8 years;
- (v) The issue of skilling and placement are being addressed through Deen Dayal Upadhayay Grameen Kaushal Yojana  and  Rural  Self  Employment  Training Institutes (RSETIs).
- (vi) The unit cost assistance under IAY has been enhanced to Rs.70 ,000 for new construction in plain areas and Rs. 75,000 in hilly/difficult areas includi districts.
- (vii) The PMGSY permits upgradation (to prescribed standards) of existing rura roads in districts where all the eligible habitations of the designated pop ulation size have been provided all weather road connectivity.
- (viii) PMGSY -II has been launched to consolidate the existing rural road network
- (ix) To improve the impact of rural development programmes, steps have been taken for  the convergence  of  rural  development programmes  within  the Ministry and with the programmes of other Ministries/ Departments.

(d) & (e) : The  Ministry  has  put  in  place  a  comprehensive  monitoring  mechanism  to ensure  the  effective  implementation  of  various  programmes.    An  Economic  & Monitorin g Wing has been set up in the Ministry which c arries out intensive monitoring of the programmes through various tools such as holding periodical review meetin National Level Monitors (NLMs) and undertake s various evaluation and impact studies . District  a nd  State  Level  Vigilance  and  Monit oring  Committees are  an  important instrument of monitoring theimplementation of programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development .MIS system sare also in placefor monitoring rural development programmes.

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