Even as the UPA government is preparing for the general elections, a first hand review of the implementation of its mega flagship programmes such as Bharat Nirman and the national rural employment guarantee programme (NREGP) by the Planning Commission at the state level has revealed that flow of funds from the Centre has been the major hurdle in the execution of the programmes.
Following a directive from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seven members of the Commission visited their respective states to assess the performance of the government?s infrastructure development programmes.
?Our mandate was to review the implementation of schemes like Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission (JNNURM), NREGP and the components of Bharat Nirman in the states. The execution of these schemes has been more or less satisfactory, but there are certain difficulties,? Commission?s member Balchandra Mungekar said, highlighting the fact that inadequate flow of Central funds has been the major hindrance for the implementation of the programmes.
Mungekar, who has just returned from his visit to Kerala, said that most of the schemes are either Centrally- sponsored schemes (CSS) with funds from both the Centre and the states or Central schemes where the Centre does the entire funding. ?When Central funds do not reach the states on time, the work is hampered because most of the states are not in a position to arrange for the resources on their own,? he said.
Therefore, the Commission has stressed on the need for, ?rigorous implementation of district level planning to ensure better implementation of the programmes aimed at socio-economic development of the people and achieve inclusive growth,? he said.
Revitalising district-level planning would mean devolution of financial powers so that money reaches the district level officers, then the zila parishads, and other panchayati raj officials. Also, the states are now taking the issuance of utilisation certificate seriously because without the certificate, Central funds are not released to the states. The members also reviewed the status of administrative issues between the Centre and the states and if the funds were being used judiciously and in a transparent manner.
According to a recent review of the rural electrification scheme, the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), a component of Bharat Nirman which promises to light up 1.25 lakh villages by 2009, only 38,525 villages were electrified and just 6.72 lakh (out of targeted 2.34 crore) BPL households were provided electricity connections till March 31, 2007.
Under the rural roads scheme, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, another component of Bharat Nirman till March 2008, only 35% of the targeted 59,536 habitations were connected and another 30% of the projects are underway to connect about 17,656 habitations by 2009, according to a review of the rural development ministry done this month.
The rural development ministry has admitted that under the present circumstances, it will not be able to complete the programme by 2009. Only about 75% of the work would be done within the stipulated time frame, the ministry has stated.