CHAPTER -X
Panchayat and Rural Development

10.1.0 The Directorate of Panchayat and Rural Development has been functioning with two wings at the State Headquarters, one being Panchayat Wing and the other Rural Development Wing. Both the wings are implementing various State Level Programmes and Centrally Sponsored Programmes through a network of 20 Zilla Parishads, 219 Development Blocks and 2487 Gaon Panchayats (Excluding Gohpur, Roha and Titabar Gaon Panchayats which have been converted to Town Committees).

Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI):

10.2.0 During the later part of 2001-2002 the much-awaited Panchayat election was held and the three tier Panchayati Raj Institutions came into effect. Accordingly, the Zilla Parishad at District level. Anchalik Panchayat at the Block level and Gaon Panchayat at the village level has been formed. With a view to empower the Local Self Government, 29 subjects as mentioned below have already been handed over to the Panchayati Raj Institutions view Government Notification No. PDA 336/2001/Pt./80 dt. 26.07.2002.

1) Agriculture (including Horticulture) and extension.

2) Land Improvement, implementation of Land Reforms, Land Consolidation and Soil Conservation.

3)Minor Irrigation, Water Management and Watershed Development.

4) Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Poultry

5) Fisheries

6) Social Forestry and Farm Forestry

7) Minor Forest Product

8) Small Scale Industries Including Food Processing Industries

9) Khadi, Village and Cottage Industries

10) Rural Housing (including Indira Awaas Yojana)

11) Drinking Water

12) Fuel and Fodder

13) Roads, Culverts, Bridges, Ferries & Waterways

14) Rural Electrification including distribution of Electricity

15) Non-Conventional Energy

16) Poverty Alleviation Programmes

17) Education Including Primary and Secondary Schools

18) Technical Training and Vocational Education

19) Adults and Non-Formal Education

20) Libraries

21) Cultural Activities

22) Markets and Fairs

23) Health and Sanitation Including Hospitals, Primary Health Centres and Dispensaries

24) Family Welfare

25) Women and Child Development

26) Social Welfare, including Welfare of Handicapped and Mentally Retarded

27) Welfare of Weaker Section and in particular of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

28) Public Distribution System.

29) Maintenance of Community Assets.

Implementation of Programme through Panchayat Wing:

10.3.0 The Panchayat Wing basically deals with the PRIs for implementation of some State Plan Schemes such as Rural Roads, Minor Irrigation Schemes like digging of canals, Health and Sanitation Schemes like installation of Ring Well/Tube Well etc. Further, the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), which was implemented by the Social Welfare Department, has now been transferred to the Panchayat and Rural Development from 1^st January ’03. This is an earmarked sector scheme. The Central Sector Schemes like National Programme for Improved Chullah (NPIC) and National Programme for Bio-gas Development (NPBD) have now been transferred to the State Sector from the beginning of the 10^th Fie Year Plan. The State Government released Rs 43.58 lakh at the last quarter of 2002-2003 to install 437 Nos. of Bio-gas Plants. The funds released is being utilized in the year 2003-2004.

Implementation of Programmes through Rural Development

10.4.0 (i) Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY)

This is a holistic programme covering all aspect of self-employment such as Organization of the rural poor into Self-help Group (SHG), training, credit technology infrastructure and marketing. The scheme is funded by the Central and State Government at the ratio of 75:25. The objective of SGSY is to assist the rural poor popularly known as "Swarojgaries" to come above the poverty line by providing them income generating assets through Bank Loan and Government Subsidy. The subsidy under SGSY is 30 per cent of the Schematic Cost for the general category of people subject to maximum of Rs 7500.00. However, in respect of SC/ST and disabled, it is 50 per cent subject to maximum of Rs 10000.00. In case of Group Swarojgaries (SHGs), the subsidy is 50 per cent of the project cost. The Government has emphasized on group approach and has discouraged the sanctioning of subsidy to Individual Swarojgaries by issuing circular to have separate identity of the programme from the earlier IRDP and effective implementation of the programme. The State Government also fixed a target of Rs 100.00 crore for credit mobilization through the programme to create self employment avenues under which Rs 60.92 crore were mobilized upto the end of March, 2003. The DRDAs at District level are the sole authority for implementation of the programme. During the year 2002-2003 an amount of Rs 3587.09 lakh was spent under the programme and the numbers of Individual Swarojgaries assisted were 5043 and the numbers of Group Swarojgaries were 3078. Thus the percentage of physical achievements were 40.73 and 82.85 respectively. The physical achievement under the programme during 2001-2002 were 48.00 per cent for Individual Swarojgaries and 57 per cent SHG over the target fixed for the year.

Special SGSY:

The programme has been implementing since 1999-2000 in the form of "Golden Thread" for development of the indigenous Eri and Muga industry of Assam in eight-selected Districts viz. Goalpara, Dhubri, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Kokrajhar, Karbi-Anglong and Golaghat. The targeted year of completion of the project was 2002-2003 and upto the end of the year Rs 802.77 lakh was utilized against the total fund available Rs 829.05 lakh. The number of SHGs assisted with Bank loan and subsidy was 171 covering 1775 numbers of Swarojgaries. The assets created under the project are 20 numbers of Community Spinning and Weaving Centres, 18 numbers of Muga Seed Production Centres, 20 numbers of Reeling and Spinning Centres for Muga and 5 numbers Market Yard-cum-Training Centres.

(i) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY stream – 1)

This is a restructured programme of earlier Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) The primary objective of the programme is to create additional wage employment opportunities for the rural poor living below the poverty line. The secondary objectives of the programme is the creation of durable community based social and economic assets for sustained employment and economic development. The scheme is open to all rural poor who the minimum wage rate prevailing in the State are to be paid, hence the persons below the poverty line would only come under the purview of the scheme. While providing employment and creating economic assets preference is given to SC and ST people and 22.5 per cent fund is earmarked for taking up schemes for SC and ST individual people.

During the year 2002-2003, an amount of Rs 15924.99 lakh has been spent along with 118090 MT of Rice distributed to generate 289.69 lakh mandays. The physical achievement was 82.41 per cent of the target and the financial achievement was 75.72 per cent over available fund.

The achievement during the year 2001-2002 over fund available and target were 69.30 per cent and 57.38 per cent respectively; Physical assets created under the programme during the year 2002-2003 were 4223 Km of Rural Roads, 1298 numbers School Buildings, 631 numbers of Bridges and Culverts and 205 numbers of Community Halls. While implementing scheme, 40 per cent of the fund allocation for a District was released to the concerned Zilla Parisad, and the remaining 60 per cent was released to the concerned Anchalik Panchayat.

(ii) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Stream – II

This a restructured Programme of earlier Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY). The implementation of the programme is entirely restored to the Gaon Panchayat to develop infrastructure at village level. During 2002-2003 an amount of Rs 12593.75 lakh was spent in order to generate 227.65 lakh mandays. The percentage of expenditure over available fund and the physical achievements over target were 80.70 per cent and 59.49 per cent respectively. The infrastructure created under the programme were 6053 Km of Rural Roads, 452 numbers of School Buildings, 806 numbers of Bridges/Culverts and 779 numbers of Community Halls. During the year 2001-2002 the amount spent in terms of cash and food grains distributed were Rs 11145.93 lakh and 53338 MT to generate 206.71 lakh mandays. The current years achievements are significantly higher than the previous year. For special safeguard to the SC/ST people 50 per cent of the fund under this scheme was earmarked for them.

(iii) Indira Awas Yojana (IAY)

The objective of Indira Awas Yojana is primarily to build up dwelling units for SC/ST, freed bonded labourers and also non SC/ST rural poor Below the Poverty Line (BPL) by providing them Grants-in-Aid to the tune of Rs 20,000.00 (now enhanced to Rs 22,000.00 from the year 2002-2003). A maximum amount of 40 per cent of the total IAY allocation for the year can be utilized for construction of dwelling units for non SC/ST rural BPL families. Provision of safeguards for the woman and disabled person have also been made upto 40 per cent and 3 per cent of the target respectively.

The programme is implemented in two separate streams viz. (i) IAY new construction and (ii) IAY upgradation where 80 per cent and 20 per cent of the total allocation are used respectively. During the year 2002-2003 an amount of Rs 8303.53 lakh for IAY new construction and Rs 2122.18 lakh for IAY up gradation had been spent. The physical achievements were 43043 number of new houses were constructed and 22483 numbers of houses were upgraded. The percentage of achievement on new construction and upgradation were 69.22 and 65.74 respectively as against the achievement of 48.23 and 44.10 per cent respectively during the previous year. The increase in physical achievement during the current year is due to the strong and effective strategic steps taken by the State Government.

(v) Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (Rural Shelter)

The programme envisages allocations for additional Central Assistance to States and Union Territories for selected Basic Minimum Services in order to focus Human Resource Development in rural areas. The PMGY has five components and they are Primary Health. Primary Education, Rural Shelters (Gramin Awas), Rural Drinking Water and Nutrition. Out of these Gramin Awas is implemented through the Panchayat and Rural Development Department in Assam. It is fully funded by the Government of India and implementation strategy is like Indira Awas Yojana (IAY). During the year 2002-2003 an amount of Rs 2028.55 lakh under new construction and Rs 548.20 lakh under upgradation have been allocated to construct 10667 numbers of new houses as well as to upgrade 3397 numbers houses. The percentages of achievement were 107.37 and 67.94 respectively as against the achievement during year 2001-2002 which were 27.24 and 32.18 respectively.

(vi) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

The Programme was launched form 2000-2001 with 100 per cent share of the Government of India. The Implementing Agency of the programme is State Public works Department (PWD). During the year 2002-2003 the Government of India has not released any fund but the fund released in 2001-2002 were utilised in 2002-2003 to construct 155.420 K.M. roads with black topping with an expenditure of Rs 7898.07 lakh.

(vii) Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP):

The programme is being implemented by the Panchayat and Rural Development Department from the year 2000-2001 where the funding pattern is 90:10 between the Central and State Governments.

The objectives of the programme are.

(i) Developing wasteland/degraded lands, draught prone and desert areas on watershed basis keeping in view of the capacity of land, site condition and local needs.

(ii) Promoting the overall economic development and improving the socio-economic condition of poor and disadvantaged sections inhabiting the programme area.

(iii) Mitigating the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions such as, draught and desertification on crops, human and livestock population for their overall improvement.

(iv) Restoring economical balance by harnessing, conserving and developing natural resources in land, water and vegetative cover.

(v) Employment generation, poverty alleviation, community empowerment and development of human and other economic resources the village.

Under the programme altogether 40 (forty) number of projects have been sanctioned and are being implemented throughout the State in a phased manner. Upto the end of March, 2003 an amount of Rs 2145.83 lakh were utilized against the total available funds of Rs 3856.30 lakh and the physical achievements on area treated was 39867 hectare against the target of 289388 hectares. The number of groups trained were 1930 against the target of 3192 groups.

(viii) NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF BIOGAS DEVELOPMENT (NPBD)

The programme was implemented under 100 per cent Central Share prior to the year 2002-2003. Now, the programme has been transferred to State Government and the Government released an amount of Rs 43.58 lakh (the fund received from the Central Government in earlier period kept in State exchequer) to install 437 number of Biogas plants at the fag end of the year, which has been implemented in 2003-2004.

The Table No. 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 show the achievements under various Rural Development programmes in Assam during the year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

TABLE – 10.1
PHYSICAL ACHIEVEMENT UNDER VARIOUS RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN ASSAM

TABLE – 10.2
FINANCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER VARIOUS RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN ASSAM
(Rs in lakh)

TABLE – 10.3
FOODGRAINS UTILISED UNDER SAMPOORNA GRAMEEN ROZGAR YOZANA

Performance of State Institute of Rural Development, Assam (SIRD)

10.5.0 The State Institute of Rural Development, Assam is actively engaged with organizing numerous training programmes meant for preparing the ground for successful implementation of various rural development schemes in the State. These field oriented training programmes basically aims at capacity building of farmers, youths and women of the State so as to enable them to take up income generating activities. The achievements of the Institute over the last six years may be seen at Table – 10.4.

TABLE – 10.4
TRAINING ACHIEVEMENTS BY SIRD

10.5.1 It is reported by the Institute that around 6000 SHGs have been developed in different parts of the State and efforts also continued to make these SHGs sustainable. The Institute is also acting as a Nodel Agency for implementation of innovative projects under SGSY and accordingly taking up activities like modernization of agricultural activities, extension of facilities to farmers, popularisation of mushroom production, dairy farming, development of Assam Silk, women empowerment through poultry farming etc.

10.5.2 With a view to provide credit support to the SHGs of the State the Institute has established a good networking with the Nationalised and Regional Rural Banks and the response has been found to be quite encouraging. Volume of loans sanctioned by different Banks to the SHGs of the State upto the end of December 2003 may be seen at Table – 10.5.

TABLE – 10.5
BANKWISE CREDIT SUPPORT UPTO DECEMBER, 2003