Rural Development

CHALLENGES & PROSPECTS

- Saroj K. Dash

Deputy Director, SIRD

Planning for Rural Development ….

• • • • A complex process which envisages the development of rural areas.

Aims at all round development of people living in Rural areas.

Aims at improving Rural peoples’ livelihood in an equitable and sustainable manner.

Objectives of RD Programmes ….. alleviation of poverty and un-employment through creation of basic, social and economic infrastructure thereby bringing a quality rural life.

Development Perspective

• • • • • Rural infrastructure and habitat development Poverty reduction Provision of basic minimum services Employment generation Making available basic necessities

The Poorest and The Weakest

15% of World’s Population live on less than $1/day 40% of World’s Population live on less than $2/day More than 850 million suffer from hunger One in 7 people go to bed hungry 17000 children die every day from hunger 25% of the world’s poor live in India 73% of India’s poor live in rural areas 47%of Orissa” population-poor

Source : Policy Research Working Paper World Bank August 2008

850 (212)Million Hungry People

Sub-Saharan Africa (206m, 24%) Where are they?

Others (30m, 4%) Asia & Pacific (without India) (312m, 37%) North East and North Africa, (38m, 4%) Latin America and Caribbean (52m, 6%) India (212m, 25%) Who are they?

Pastoralists/ Fishermen (8%) Urban Poor (20%) Landless Rural Poor (22%) Marginal Farmers (50%)

Source : FAO estimates of 2006

Poverty in India

Poverty Ratio

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 55 51 44 38 35 27.5

Poverty Ratio 1973-74 1977-78 Total Rural 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1983

Years

1987-88 321 261 1993-94 2004-05 329 264

Absolute Poor in India

323 307 252 232 320 1973-74 1977-78 1983

Years

1987-88 1993-94 244 302 2004-05 221

Source : As per NSSO rounds India

Causes for Poverty and Vulnerability

Little control over their own Life And Destiny Employment Insecurity and Low Incomes Lack of Control over Common Resources Lack of Assets and Entitlements Low Productivity of Assets Illiteracy, Poor Health and Nutritional Status Lack of Access to Credit, Information & Technology

“Paradigm Shift in Approach”

aim at Universal

Coverage

are Demand

Driven

are Time

Bound

aim at

Empowerment of the Poor

follow

Participatory Approach

have built in

Transparency and Accountability

India’s Vision for the future

India has outlined targets based on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) The first goal is to Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger “Inclusive Growth” and “Paradigm Shift in Approach” are the Mainstay

Promoting Inclusive Growth through Planned Programs Coverage of OTHERS (Children, minorities) Coverage of SCs, Coverage of STs, Coverage of Women Coverage of Vulnerable WOMEN

R. D. PROGRAMS … A Profile

RD programs can be divided in to four • • • • categories :

Programs for Self and Wage Employment.

Programs for Rural Infrastructure & Minimum Basic Needs.

Programs for Natural Resources Management; and, Programs for Social Security.

PROGRAMS FOR SELF AND WAGE EMPLOYMENT

Guaranteeing Wage Employment Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Promoting Self Employment Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

PROGRAMS FOR RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE & MINIMUM BASIC NEEDS

• • • • •

Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Swajaldhara Central Rural Sanitation Program (CRSP/TSC) PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas)

Integrated Rural Housing Scheme (IRHS) – – – –

Indira Awaas Yojana Samagra Awaas Yojana Pradhan Mantri Gramdoya Yojana (G.A) Credit-cum-Subsidy Scheme

PROGRAMS FOR NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• • • • Integrated Wasteland Development Program (IWDP) (Watershed Development and Hariyali) Land Consolidation Land Reforms Computerization of Land Records

PROGRAMS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL ASSISTANCE (NSAP)

• • • • • • •

Old Age Pension, Widow Pension National Family Benefit Scheme National Maternity Benefit Scheme ICDS and Allied Services Subsidized Food for Old & Destitute Annapoorna Antodaya

National Campaigns …

• • • • •

National Rural Health Mission

–

Health for All – 2010

Sarba Siksha Abhiyan

–

Education for All – 2010

Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Mission National Hort Mission/RKVY

And Many More …….

Challenges …

• • • • • •

Most programmes represented top-down, techno bureaucratic solutions to poverty alleviation Peoples’ participation in planning, designing, implementation and monitoring lacking In implementation most programmes reduced to chasing paper targets Little or no gender focus – assumption that improvement in status of family will automatically improve status of women belied by experience Programmes conceptualized for women did not enable them to pull themselves out of a disadvantageous situation No flexibility to adapt programme design to local conditions

Challenges….

• • • • • • •

High Adm. Costs of Program Implementation.

Low importance of Social Dev. Programmes to PRI.

Perils of centralisation of Program Administration.

Multiplicity of Agencies & Difficulties in Coordination.

Technical deptt. entrusted with routine jobs Lack of result oriented planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Program Leakages

Prospects ….

• • • • • • • • • Organising the poor for greater participation Unity of plan & policy Emphasis on coordination rather than on control Scheme to originate from PRIs and not state/ centre Simplification of procedures/ norms Adoption of package approach PRIs as corporate bodies Focus on HRD Creation of satisfactory monitoring system to measure & regulate performance during implementation

Prospects ….

• • • • • • • • •

Create Rights and Legal Guarantees for rural poor Decentralise Planning and Implementation Set up well defined Systems with clear Guidelines Involve Partners and Stakeholders Converge Schemes with Common Objectives Incentivise Achievements Ensure Transparency and Accountability Use IT platform for effective Monitoring Establish Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Strengthening Grassroot Processes of Democracy Financial Inclusion Large Scale Capacity Building Social Audits Grievance Redressal Mechanism ICT in MIS

Indicator Proportion of population poverty line Literacy rate of 15-24 year olds Infant Mortality rate (per 1000 live births) Population with access to water source (rural) Population with access to sanitation (rural)

Moving Towards the Millennium Development Goals

MDG Target Value by 2015 18.75(%) 100.00 (%) 27.00 80.5 (%)

Status

Latest surveys show poverty at 27.50 (%) below

well on target to reaching the goal.

Literacy has gone up to over 76 (%) for this age group. India’s rate already has come down from 80 in 1990 to 58 in 2006.

India has already touched 82 percent.

72 (%)

It is expected to achieve the target by 2012 itself.

Source: MDG India Country Report, M/o Statistics & Programme Implementation.

“ Be the change you want to see in the world”

Mahatma Gandhi 1927