Ken-Betwa to be Model Link Project of Inter-Linking of Rivers

Ken-Betwa to be Model Link Project of Inter-Linking of Rivers Says Uma Bharti

Sixth Meeting of Special Committee for Inter-Linking of Rivers Held

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has said that various clearances for Ken-Betwa link project are in the advance stage of processing and the Government will start implementing this National Project as model link project of Inter Linking of Rivers (ILRs) programme after obtaining the statutory clearances. Addressing the Sixth meeting of Special Committee for inter linking of river held in New Delhi today, the Minister said interlinking of rivers progamme is very important for enhancing water and food security of the country and would be very helpful in providing water to water short, drought prone and rainfed areas. She said the Government is committed for implementation of ILR programme with the consensus and cooperation of the concerned State governments.

The Minister also informed the meeting that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project has been completed by National Water Development Agency (NWDA) and submitted to Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra on August 25, 2015. She said this is the third link project after Ken-Betwa and Damanganga-Pnjal for which the DPR has been completed. Sushri Bharti said the issue of water sharing between Gujarat and Maharashtra in respect of Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada link project is now required to be taken up on priority. She said “I would therefore urge both the government of Gujarat and Maharashtra to address the issue of water sharing and arrive at an agreement so that the implementation of these two projects can be taken up at the earliest”. The Minister said task force for interlinking of rivers constituted by the Ministry has started its working and this will help in bringing speedy consensus amongst the States on the link projects.

The Minister told the meeting that a team of senior officers of her Ministry led by Special Secretary had a meeting with Chief Secretary of West Bengal at Kolkata recently and discussed the proposal of Sankosh-Mahanadi link system which comprises four links namely Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga, Ganga-Damodar-Subarnarekha, Subarnarekha-Mahanadi and Farakka-Sunderbans. The proposed link system would provide large irrigation benefits of about 10.5 lakh hact. besides domestic/industrial water supply to West-Bengal. The State Government has been requested to agree to the proposal and to furnish their suggestions for its improvement.

The Minister also remembered Shri Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya on his birthday today. Paying rich tributes to him Sushri Bharti said he was a visionary engineer and statesman who played a key role in building many dams and reservoirs of modern India.

Addressing the meeting Shri Chandra Prakash Chaudhary, Minister of Water Resources of Jharkhand said that Prefeasibility Report (PFR) of Sankh-Southkoel and Southkoel-Subarnarekha river link projects prepared by NWDA has been put on hold because of some objections by Government of Odisha. He said so far no meeting of the sub group constituted to consider these objections has taken place though all the details sought by this group has been provided by the State Government of Jharkhand. Reacting to this the Union Minister for Water Resources directed that the meeting of sub group should be called within ten days. Shri Chaudhary also referred to PFR of Barakar-Subarnarekha river link and said that DPR of this project could not be taken up because of the non clearance from Damodar Valley River Regulation Committee (DVRRC). He urged the Minister to call a meeting of DVRRC at the earliest. The Minister further requested to declare these projects as national projects so that adequate funds were available for their implementation. He also requested to fix a time frame for implementation of these projects.

Referring to the restoration of state’s share of water from surplus water of Mahanadi and Godavari, Shri MB Patil, Minister for Water Resources of Karnataka said that despite persistent efforts of Karnataka, the concern of his State has not been brought back into focus either by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation or NWDA. He said that PFR of Ponnaiyar (Krishnagiri) –Palar link in Tamil Nadu as prepared by NWDA has taken into account an import of 271 Mcum (9.57tmc) upto the upstream of Krishnagiri dam available from drinking water supply of Bengaluru city. Shri Patil said in view of the right to use the regenerated water by Karnataka from Bengaluru water supply which is being drawn from Cauvery River, it would have been appropriate not to have considered the 271 Mcum in the water balance study in favour of Tamil Nadu. He was of the opinion that reckoning of the regeneration flow by NWDA in its water balance study ignoring Karnataka’s interests is not correct.

Addressing the meeting Shri Vijay Shivtare, Minister of Water Resources of Maharashtra said that with reference to Damanganga –Pinjal link project his State should be allocated water at 75% dependability instead of 90% dependability and as such, the size of the tunnels/water conveyance system should be designed to suit diversion of such quantum of water, ensuring optimum use of diverted water. He suggested that during water deficit year, distress should be shared by Maharashtra and Gujarat in proportion of water allocation. Shri Shivtare was of the opinion that Damanganga- Pinjal link project should be declared as nation project and joint implementation board similar to Ken-Betwa link needs to be constituted early. He informed the meeting that the DPR of Par-Tapi Narmada link has been submitted to his Government by NWDA on September 02, 2015 and the State Government will send it comments to NWDA within two months time. 

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting today launched the Headend In The Sky (HITS) digital platform initiative, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL promoted by Hinduja Group.

 Shri Arun Jaitley launches NXT DIGITAL - Headend-In-The-Sky platform

Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting today launched the Headend In The Sky (HITS) digital platform initiative, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL promoted by Hinduja Group. Speaking on the occasion Shri Jaitley said that in view of the multiple carriage technologies the launch would provide consumers with wider choice. Shri  Jaitley launched the platform, by pressing a button which would provide viewers access to over 500 television channels of their choice - international, national, regional and local; besides a host of other services like e-applications and TV everywhere. Customers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka will now have greater access to channels of their choice with other states soon joining in. The platform is expected to give a fillip to the Digital India initiative and Make In India mission.

The NXT DIGITAL Broadcast Centre is a state-of-the-art next-generation MPEG-4 facility that has been designed and purpose-built to provide a variety of services to the cable distribution fraternity and their customers all across India. The technology is future-proof and would offer enhanced television experiences for the subscriber whilst allowing the cable fraternity to manage their networks effortlessly using new-age “cloud” solutions, with a minimal investment. The back-end technology systems are based on sophisticated and complex architectures that can even deliver unique services like television access on mobile devices and tablets as well as information dissemination services to laser-targeted localities by various agencies for Emergency Alerts etc.

Through NXT DIGITAL’s uniquely designed and assembled COPE (Cable Operators Premises Equipment), Digitalizing of Indian cities and the space of broadcast distribution would help India register quantum growth. The initiative will enable thousands of entrepreneurial cable operators to make a transition from analog to digital across an estimated 120 million homes in India.  Not only would it help cable operators and MSOs take their businesses to the next level but would also ensure compliance with the guidelines of the various regulatory bodies. Through them it seeks to empower the end consumer as the customer would have access to a new digital television experience.

30th Anniversary of the Vienna Convention and 21st International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer Celebrated

30th Anniversary of the Vienna Convention and 21st International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer Celebrated

“If human intervention has caused climate change, with human intent and intellect and with new research and technology, we will win this war against climate change”, the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar said here today. Addressing a gathering drawn from various schools in and around Delhi on the occasion of celebration of 21st International Day for the preservation of the Ozone layer, Shri Javadekar also said that this win give the people a better life that they deserve. The Minister said that Ozone layer is the protective blanket provided by Nature. The theme of the celebration is "30 Years of Healing the Ozone Together”. The theme is supported by the slogan “Ozone: All there is between you and UV”.

The Minister administered a pledge to the gathering on the occasion. A booklet titled “Montreal Protocol: India’s Success Story” were also released on the occasion. A number of competitions were organized for school children as part of the celebration of 30th Anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer and the 21st International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer. These include poster design competition, painting competition and slogan-writing competition

Prizes to the winners of these competitions were presented at the function. The poster, painting and slogan and the 17th edition of the “The Montreal Protocol: India’s Success Story”, which contains relevant aspects of India’s commitment to the Protocol, were also released on the occasion.

Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashok Lavasa and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Susheel Kumar also addressed the gathering. Joint Secretary, MoEF&CC, Shri Manoj Kumar Singh welcomed the participants, while Dr. A Duraiswamy, Director Ozone Cell, MoEF&CC delivered the vote of thanks.

Background to 30th anniversary of Vienna Convention and 21st International Day for the preservation of Ozone layer 

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone layer was signed on March 22, 1985 and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone layer was signed on September 16, 1987. India became Party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer on March 18, 1991 and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone layer on June 19, 1992.

The UN General Assembly on January 23, 1995 adopted a resolution 49/114, which proclaims September 16 as the International Day for the preservation of the Ozone layer, to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, which was signed on September 16, 1987. Since 1995, this day is celebrated every year as the International Day for the preservation of the Ozone layer and commemorates the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone layer, an important milestone for the protection of the Ozone layer. The 30th anniversary of the Vienna Convention and the 21st International Day for the preservation of the Ozone layer are being celebrated by India on September 16, 2015.

The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone layer has been recognized as the most successful international environment treaty in history. Another testimony to its remarkable accomplishments, the Montreal Protocol has received universal ratification; all countries in the world have now ratified this landmark agreement. This brings together the global community to protect the Ozone layer.

The Montreal Protocol, which has been in operation for twenty eight years had an extraordinary international cooperation and has led to a complete phase-out of production and consumption of several ODSs. As of January 1, 2015 the production and consumption of key ODSs like CFCs, CTC halons, Methyl Chloroform and Methyl Bromide have already been phased-out globally. This has not only protected the stratospheric Ozone layer, but it has also immensely benefitted the climate system. The ODSs are also potent Green House Gases (GHGs) and these gases were not included in Kyoto basket of gases for emission controls, as these are already being phased out under ambit of the Montreal Protocol. As per expert estimates, GHG emissions have been reduced by more than 11 Giga tonnes CO2 equivalent per year through the ODS phase-out activities of the Montreal Protocol.

India, being a Party to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer, have been sharing the global concern for protecting the Ozone layer and phasing out of the ODSs. These substances are used in a number of applications, including industrial and pharmaceutical aerosols, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipments, foam manufacturing, fire extinguishing equipment, metal-cleaning, garment cleaning, soil fumigation, quarantine and pre-shipment applications etc.

The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, have been put in place to control production, consumption, export, import and trade with the non-Parties to the Montreal Protocol. These Rules are being enforced under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 with effect from 19th July, 2000.

These Rules have been amended from time to time to facilitate execution of national phase-out plans so as to meet the reduction targets as specified in the Protocol. These Rules have been further amended to align with the accelerated phase-out of HCFCs and the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2014 has been published in the Gazette of India in April, 2014. 

Union Cabinet approves Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission to drive economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas

Union Cabinet approves Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission to drive economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas

In an ambitious bid to transform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) with an outlay of Rs. 5142.08 crores.

            The Mission aims at development of rural growth clusters which have latent potential for growth, in all States and UTs, which would trigger overall development in the region. These clusters would be developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills & local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities. The Rurban Mission will thus develop a cluster of Smart Villages.

These clusters would be well delineated areas with planned layouts prepared following the planning norms (as laid down in the State Town and Country Planning Acts/similar Central or State statutes as may be applicable), which would be duly notified by the State/UTs. These plans would be finally integrated with the District Plans/Master Plans as the case may be.

The State Governments would identify the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the Ministry of Rural Development. The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. There would be a separate approach for selection of clusters in Tribal and Non-Tribal Districts. As far as practicable, clusters of village would follow administrative convergence units of Gram Panchayats.

For the selection of clusters, the Ministry of Rural Development is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the District, Sub District and Village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact. While the Ministry, following this analysis, would provide a suggestive list of sub districts to the State, the State Governments would then select the clusters following a set of indicated principles included in the Framework for Implementation.

The mission aims to create 300 such Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years, across the country. The funding for Rurban Clusters will be through various schemes of the Government converged into the cluster. The SPMRM will provide an additional funding support of upto 30 percent of the project cost per cluster as Critical Gap Funding (CGF) as Central Share to enable development of such Rurban clusters.

To ensure an optimum level of development, fourteen  components have been suggested as desirable for the cluster, which would include;  Skill development training linked to economic activities, Agro Processing/Agri Services/Storage and Warehousing, Digital Literacy, Sanitation, Provision of piped water supply, Solid and liquid waste management, Village streets and drains, Street lights, Fully equipped mobile health unit, Upgrading school /higher education facilities, Inter-village road connectivity, Citizen Service Centres- for electronic delivery of citizen centric services/e-gram connectivity, Public transport., LPG gas connections.

The States would prepare Integrated Cluster Action Plans for Rurban Clusters, which would be comprehensive plan documents detailing out the strategy for the cluster, desired outcomes  for the cluster under the mission, along with the resources to be converged under various Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State Sector schemes, and the Critical Gap Funding (CGF) required for the cluster. 

In addition to the Critical Gap Funding, proactive steps have been taken to ensure the success of the mission with adequate budget provisions for supporting the State Government towards project development, capacity building and other institutional arrangements at the state level.

 The Mission envisages institutional arrangements both at the State and Center to ensure smooth implementation of the Mission. The Mission also has an Innovation budget towards facilitating research, development and capacity building.

The scheme through development of rurban growth clusters aimed at catalyzing overall regional growth,  would thus simultaneously benefit the rural as well as urban areas of the country, by achieving twin objectives of strengthening rural areas and de burdening the urban areas hence leading to balanced regional development and growth of the country.

Ex-post facto approval to additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) in areas hit by drought or natural calamities

Ex-post facto approval to additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) in areas hit by drought or natural calamities

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in the financial year over and above the 100 days assured to job card holders, in such rural areas where drought or natural calamities have been notified. This will enable States to provide additional wage employment to the rural poor in drought affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit from this, as it will help in immediate absorption of rural seasonal unemployment, and reduce rural distress.

To provide immediate relief to farmers, in view of the deficit monsoon during Kharif 2015, the Government of India has already taken a number of decisions. Orders on these measures have already been issued to all State Governments, which will implement them on the basis of assessed need.  The various decisions are:

1.                  Diesel Subsidy Scheme for farmers in affected areas: It has been decided to provide diesel subsidy to farmers to enable them to provide life saving irrigation through diesel pump sets in drought and deficit rainfall areas to protect standing crops (allocation of Rs.100 crore). Farmers in the affected regions will be covered during the current South-West monsoon period till 30^th September, 2015.  The scheme on Diesel Subsidy will be implemented with the participation of the State Governments/UT Administration, with a view to offset the cost of diesel used for pumping water for providing supplementary irrigation/protective irrigation. The scheme will be applicable to such districts/talukas/areas where the rainfall deficit is more than 50 percent as on 15th July, 2015, (as reported by the India Meteorological Department); to such districts/talukas/areas, which have been declared as drought affected area by the respective State Govt./ UT Administration; areas with prolonged dry spell continuously for 15 days, i.e. scanty rainfall (deficit of 60 percent or more of normal) for any continuous 15 days period, after the onset date of Monsoon as per reports of IMD. It is proposed to provide 50 percent subsidy on the cost of diesel (Rs 2000 per hectare) to affected farmers, limited to a maximum of two hectares per farmer. The cost of assistance provided shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.

2.                  Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy: Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy. In order to  compensate farmers in drought affected districts for the additional expenditure incurred in the sowing and /or purchasing appropriate varieties of drought resistant seeds, it has been decided to raise the extant ceiling on seed subsidy by 50 percent  over existing levels for distribution in drought notified districts. The enhancement is valid till 31.12.2015.

3.                  Interventions for saving perennial horticulture crops: Appropriate input support measures will be provided to rejuvenate water stressed horticulture crops, with an additional allocation of Rs.150 crore. The scheme is to be implemented in all drought affected districts / blocks in the country which are covered under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), being implemented by Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare. Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.6000/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary, for taking up appropriate combination of interventions. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis. 

4.                  Implementation of additional fodder development programme: Assistance will be provided for additional interventions for production of fodder for mitigating adverse impact of drought on livestock (allocation of Rs.50 crore). Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.3200/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary for taking up additional production of fodder in these districts/blocks. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.

5.                  Flexible allocation under RKVY and other centrally sponsored schemes: States have   been advised to keep aside about 5 to 10 percent of fund allocated under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for undertaking appropriate interventions, if the situation so warrants, to minimize the advance impact of an aberrant monsoon on the agriculture sector. 10 percent of the allocation under Centrally Sponsored Scheme may be utilized in flexible manner by States to meet contingent requirement arising out of deficient rains.

6.                  Crop contingency plan: Ministry of Agriculture, through ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad has prepared detailed crop Contingency Plans for 600 districts. States have been advised to prepare/ update/ fine-tune Contingency Plans for each district in consultation with CRIDA-ICAR and State Agriculture Universities and to prepare location specific remedial measures based on these contingency plans in the event of late arrival of Monsoon/long dry spells/scanty rainfall/drought conditions e.g. tying up availability of seeds and other inputs for implementing Contingency Plans. As seen from the experience of last year, these are highly useful in case of a deviant monsoon.  These plans are available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Minstry of Agriculture as well as Central Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.

7.                  Advisories to the states: State Governments have already been advised to initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures under MGNREGA  and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for moisture conservation, promoting cultivation  of less water consuming crops and restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells, replacing/repairing faulty pumps. States have also been requested to carry out periodic assessment of preparation for Kharif crops, particularly contingency crops and also investment made in water conservation structure under various schemes like Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWWP) to verify their utility in harvesting the rainfall.

8.                  Availability of seeds and other inputs for Kharif, 2015: Availability of seeds and other inputs is being monitored / reviewed on a continuous basis in the weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) meetings being held in the Department of Agriculture. Weekly video conference with States is also being held to get first-hand information about State’s preparedness and to advise States appropriately whenever needed.

9.                  SMS Advisory: The Ministry, through the m-kisan portal sends SMS advisories to registered farmers. These advisories include weather based SMS advisories, advisories to suggest measures to minimize adverse impact of extreme weather event. Ministry through various operators has sent about 700 crores SMS in the last one year. These SMS are sent by ICAR/SAU, KVK, AMFU etc. and district level state Government officials.

10.              Crisis management plan for drought for the year 2015: A Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for Drought has been in place and is available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Min. of Agriculture. The plan has also been updated recently in consultation with Stakeholder Ministries/Departments. The Agriculture Minister has also requested all Chief Ministers, vide his letter dated 12.05.2015, to direct the officers concerned to expedite preparation of State level Management Plans on Drought.

11.              SDRF/NDRF funds - First Instalment of SDRF released: The State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief in the wake of natural calamities. Government of India supplements the efforts of state Governments with financial assistance. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with State Governments in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from the State Government in accordance with established procedure, keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance. The first instalment of SDRF has already been released to State Governments. SDRF funds, besides others, can also be used for emergency supply of drinking water in rural and urban areas, as per the approved guidelines

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by Government of India

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by Government of India

Minister of Mines & Steel calls it a revolutionary and unprecedented scheme

The Central Government today announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY). This is a new programme meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).

Minister of Mines and Steel Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said, “PMKKKY is a revolutionary and unprecedented scheme of its kind, which will transform the lives of people living in areas which are affected directly or indirectly by mining.”

The objective of PMKKKY scheme will be (a) to implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas that complement the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government; (b) to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts; and (c) to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas. Care has been taken to include all aspects of living, to ensure substantial improvement in the quality of life. High priority areas like drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill development, women and child care, welfare of aged and disabled people, skill development and environment conservation will get at least 60 % share of the funds. For creating a supportive and conducive living environment, balance funds will be spent on making roads, bridges, railways, waterways projects, irrigation and alternative energy sources. This way, government is facilitating mainstreaming of the people from lower strata of society, tribals and forest-dwellers who have no wherewithal and are affected the most from mining activities.

The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, mandated the setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations. The Central Government today notified the rates of contribution payable by miners to the DMFs. In case of all mining leases executed before 12th January, 2015 (the date of coming into force of the Amendment Act) miners will have to contribute an amount equal to 30% of the royalty payable by them to the DMFs. Where mining leases are granted after 12.01.2015, the rate of contribution would be 10% of the royalty payable. Using the funds generated by this contribution, the DMFs are expected to implement the PMKKKY.

The Central Government has issued a directive to the State Governments, under Section 20A of the MMDR Act, 1957, laying down the guidelines for implementation of PMKKKY and directing the States to incorporate the same in the rules framed by them for the DMFs.

The DMFs have also been directed to maintain the utmost transparency in their functioning and provide periodic reports on the various projects and schemes taken up by them. 

Revitalising rural economy

Revitalising rural economy
Mahatma Gandhi famously said that India lives in its villages. The fact that urban population constituted merely 11% of the total Indian population in the early decades of the 20th century gave power to his grassroots Swadeshi movement. One that envisioned an India which did not merely replace imperialist rule with self-rule, but also energised the national economy and culture by revitalising its villages. From an economic point of view, the Swadeshi philosophy envisaged self-reliance for villages and empowerment so that they could generate their own livelihood, have the skill-sets to manufacture their own products, farm their own lands, and live in harmony with the environment. Gandhi’s social movements were as much a call for the freedom of India as for holistic development of the nation—a battle cries against illiteracy and poverty, and everything that shackled the growth of the rural economy.

Gandhi’s vision for holistic development of rural India is relevant even today. India still lives in its villages—the ICE 360 Survey 2014 estimates that there are nearly 5.97 million villages and an overwhelming 57% of these have a population size less than 1,000. While urban societies continue to grow and provide tremendous impetus for India’s economic growth, the significance of a vibrant and healthy rural economy cannot be undermined. Especially in the context of declining agricultural productivity and distressed rural households, which continue to eke out a livelihood from agriculture. A huge 63% rural households are dependent on the meagre incomes that farm-related activities generate. Growth in rural wages, which averaged 18% in the last few years, dropped sharply to 5% in September last year.

These developments are not just impacting rural Indians, but the economic well-being of the nation as well.

Road and public transport

Linkages between good road networks and economic development are well-established. Transportation plays a multifaceted role in enhancing incomes and well-being, as it is vital for marketing and efficient distribution of agricultural produce, mobility of people and material resources, and contributes towards access to educational, healthcare and financial services. Therefore, rural areas with low standards of living are most likely to be ones with poor road and transportation linkages.

Small villages, in terms of population size (less than 1,000), are the ones that are relatively poor and backward. It’s not surprising that these are also the ones that have poor road connectivity: only 35% small villages (with population size of 1,000-5,000) have access to pucca roads within a kilometre radius compared to 70% large villages (population size of more than 10,000). A majority of large villages are connected with all-weather roads compared to 64% small villages. The average distance from the village to the nearest railway station is about 15 km for large villages and 35 km for small villages.

Basic amenities

According to the World Bank, rural electrification is fundamental for economic development. It affects the welfare of rural households as it reduces time-consuming household chores. Assured electricity supply leads to the development of local agriculture-based industries such as rice and wheat milling, production of oil from oilseeds, repair and welding of agricultural implements, etc, which can supplement the incomes of families dependent on farm incomes. The quality of energy supply has a major impact on economic activities, a fact that is often ignored by the government in its drive to increase rural electrification without any thought to the quality of power that is being supplied. Even though a majority of the villages surveyed have electric connections, they only receive about 10-12 hours of power and just 44% households are satisfied with the quality/quantity of electricity they receive.

The major source of drinking water across all village-sizes is either hand-pump or tube-well. Only 30% households reported they have access to piped water. Firewood (51%) followed by dung cakes (20%) are major cooking fuel sources across all village types. Only 17% villages use LPG and, of these, 28% are households living in large villages compared to 15% in small ones.

Public services

Since agriculture-based activities form a huge chunk of income for rural households, access to banks and mandis is integral for smooth functioning of the rural economy. The presence of public distribution shops (PDS)—which are the major source of subsidised food items and kerosene—is also a key indicator of a village’s status on the welfare continuum.

Where do Indian farmers sell their produce? Significantly, 40% villages sell their farm produce to retailers. A little less than a quarter (23%) of Indian villages can do business with wholesale traders and only 20% sell directly in the mandis. The average distance to the nearest commercial bank is 10 km. About 44% villages have PDS shops; of these, only 30% small villages boast of PDS shops while 89% large villages can access them inside village boundaries.

Education and health

The drive towards increasing literacy has had significant impact on access to educational facilities—particularly at the primary level—in the wake of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. However, the quality of education continues to be a major concern. Most villages have access to middle level school within a radius of 1 kilometre. But access to higher levels of education is more prominent in large villages: nearly 60% of such villages have secondary and higher secondary schools compared to just 20% in small villages.

On the healthcare front, while campaigns such as polio and smallpox eradication have resulted in major successes, and significant progress has been achieved in the areas of infant and maternal mortality, universal healthcare is still out of reach for most rural Indians. Issues about inefficient and poor quality of healthcare services, and the high cost, continue to pose major challenges.

As has been observed with other amenities, large villages benefit from access to better health facilities compared to their cousins in small villages. Nearly 60% large villages have primary health centres against just 6% in small villages. Similarly, nearly half of large villages have a pharmacy or a chemist shop while only 11% in the small ones have them.

Clearly, rural development is a non-linear and highly-contextual process. While various government programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Smart Village (Andhra Pradesh), the Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) model and many others are steps in the right direction, there is a need to pool resources and collective wisdom to achieve the targeted results. Corporate and NGO best practices can be garnered to give rural development a much-needed fillip and also achieve Gandhi’s vision of an empowered and self-sustaining rural India.