Rural development - Mid-term appraisal of the eleventh five year plan - Report by the Planning Commission

The Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) sought to build on the gains achieved in the Tenth Plan and shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-2012  by the Planning Commission reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed.

This chapter from the MTA report reviews the initiatives on rural development that cover programmes related to employment, housing, sanitation, drinking water, watershed development, road connectivity, electrification and social security.

The chapter discusses and assesses the performance of the following initiatives:

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in terms of :

• Performance across states
• Quality of work
  • Need for capacity building for MGNREGA
  • Need to address payment related issues
  • Need for social audits
  • Space for civil society action
  • Need for grievance redressal mechanisms
  • Partnership with UIDAI and the Banking Correspondent (BC) Model
  • Need to consider special problems of marginalised communities such as tribals
  • Need to consider special needs of the Differently-Abled
  • Design new schedule of minimum wages
• Need for a Mission MGNREGA
• Develop the ultimate potential of MGNREGA
• The way forward

Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) in terms of :

• Physical and financial progress
• Performance across states
  • Impact of Self Help Groups (SHGs)
  • Low Credit-Subsidy Ratio
  • Uneven performance across states
• Need for restructuring SGSY: National Rural Livelihoods Mission
• New initiatives during eleventh plan

Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) in terms of :

• Performance review
• New initiatives during eleventh plan
• Issues and recommendations
  • Quality of housing remains aproblem
  • Dearth of technical inputs
  • Inadequacy of unit cost
  • Greater transparency and social audit needed
  • Need to transform to a habitat development approach

Rural sanitation programme: Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in terms of :

• Areas of concern
  • Soft inputs required for the preparatory phase
  • Need for time phasing
  • Need for more imaginative funding options
  • Broader menu of technologies required
  • Need to tackle solid and liquid waste management
  • Need to consider sanitation and water supply together
  • Need for capacity building

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) in terms of :

• Need for computerisation of databases
• Suggestions for the way forward

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