BRGF in Andhra Pradesh: trends in implementation
Dr.V.Siva Sankara Prasad
Junior Faculty, AMR-APARD
In order to put the post-independent India on a firm road to planned progress
and economic development, the Government of India formulated the five year plans
and devised a number of strategies to achieve this goal. However, nearly six
decades after the planning process was initiated, several states continue to lag far
behind as do some regions within the developed states too – thanks to a variety of
factors like climatic conditions, geographical location, availability of natural
resources, social and historical background.
The Government, which believed that establishment of industries,
could address the problems of the backward areas, pumped heavy funds into
backward states like Orissa, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in the Second and Third
Plan periods to set up major industries. However, over the subsequent Plans, the
bigger States managed to hog the lion’s share of these outlays in the context of
changing political climate. As a result, regional imbalances or disparities persist to
this day. With states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
toeing liberalised reforms and offering a number of incentives to attract private
participation, development remined confined to limited pockets.
Identifying the constraints for development of these backward
areas, the Sixth Plan (1980-85) focused on integrated development of local areas
based on optimum utilisation of locally available resources while the Backward
Regions Development Committee was established during the Fifth Plan.
The planners recognised that human resources development as
a key factor in bridging regional imbalances and accorded top priority to
development of drought prone, desert, hilly areas and tribal tracts in the formulation
of regional development programmes with emphasis on individual benefits. Following
the liberalised economic policies initiated in the early 1990s, the priorities shifted to
investments in infrastructure development of backward regions during the Eighth and
the Ninth Plans. This shift occurred in the backdrop of a scenario of growing private
investment flows into the developed areas.
The Tenth Plan (2002-07) saw substantial outlays for
infrastructure development of the backward regions coupled with steps to enlist
active involvement of local bodies and the people in the implementation of Rashtriya
Sama Vikas Yojana (RSVY), a Backward Districts Intiative. The RSVY objectives
included development of backward regions, bridging regional imbalances, hastening
the pace of development, tackling poverty and unemployment and raising the living
standards of the people. However, the RSVY could not live up to the declared
objectives of enlisting active participation of the local bodies or the people. In the
year 2005, the Planning Commission set up an inter-ministerial task force to discuss
and devise steps to remove regional imbalances in the development endeavour. In
line with its recommendations, the Government launched Backward Regions Grant
Fund (BRGF) during the Eleventh Plan period.
Backward Regions Grant Fund
The Government identified 250 districts across the country on
the basis of low human development index, poor infrastructure facilities, high
concentration of rainfed farm lands etc. for implementation of the scheme launched
in the year 2007. An important feature of the programme was release of funds
directly to the districts based on district-level development indices. Thirteen districts
were selected in Andhra Pradesh, all the 9 in Telangana except Hyderabad, three of
the four Rayalaseema districts (excepting Kurnool) and Vizianagaram, the lone
district from the coastal region. A sum of Rs 4670 crores was being allocated in the
Union Budget from the year 2007-08. The BRGF provides financial resources to
supplement and converge developmental inflows into the said districts.
Main objectives of the Programme
 Bridging critical gaps in infrastructure facilities
 Preparation and implementation of participatory plans at the panchayat
and municipality level to meet the local felt needs.
 Capacity building of the local bodies to monitor implementation of the
scheme.
 Provide professional and expert support to the local bodies in these areas.
 Capacity building to enable the local bodies to manage resources,
functions and responsibilities transferred to them.
BRGF funds are released to the districts under two special budgetary heads:
capacity building fund– Rs one crore every year for capacity building initiatives for
the elected representatives of PRIs and the officials of the urban local bodies, and
development grant – for implementation of works identified on the basis of peoples
prioritisation.
Each district is entitled to a minimum of Rs 10 crores under the development grant
and the balance of available funds are released directly to the district, 50 per cent of
the funds on the basis of its size and the other 50 per cent on population. The funds
in turn are utilised within the said district to take up works identified under
participatory plan as per the following criteria in Andhra Pradesh – 50 per cent to
gram panchayats, 30 per cent to the mandal parishads, 20 per cent to the zilla
parishad and to the municipalities on population
District perspective plan, a must
District development perspective plan is a must to qualify for BRGF funds. The
BRGF helps minimise regional imbalances and hasten development in the backward
regions through the district plans formulated on the basis of locally available natural,
human and financial resources. It will also doubtless pave the way for transformation
of panchayati raj bodies into effective local governments as envisaged by Article 243
G of the Constitution. The scheme also provides for enlisting of the services of
experts in the preparation of district, mandal and village plans. Another plus point is
that the BRGF funds can be used for addressing minor but long-pending
development constraints at the village level. These funds prove to be particularly
valuable in streamlining and improving rural water supply system, school, anganwadi
and public health sub centre buildings, and village veterinary centres. Proper use of
these funds in the areas of education, public health and medicare, drinking water
supply and sanitation can significantly contribute to improvement of the living
conditions of the rural populace.
Implementation trends in AP
Thirteen districts (Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak, Warangal,
Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Anantapur, Chittoor,
Cuddapah and Vizianagaram) have been selected for implementation of the scheme
in Andhra Pradesh. The BRGF releases about Rs 330 crores every year covering
the 13 districts. While state government Panchayat Raj and Rural Development
department is looking after the Development grant, AMR Andhra Pradesh Academy
for Rural Development is implementing the capacity building initiatives. The district
becomes eligible for grants after the plans, prepared by the local and civic bodies on
participatory basis, are discussed and approved by the district planning committee
(DPC). It is no exaggeration to say that the exercise has activated and invigorated
the DPCs. District plans, which remained just a talk for nearly four decades, have
now become a reality, thanks to the BRGF. A close look at the sectoral outlays for
the 13 districts in 2007-08 will dispel the notion that peoples representatives tend to
bestow little attention to human resources development if sufficient funds and
powers are given to the local bodies. (see table 1) Available statistics relating to
sectoral allocations show that woman and child welfare (construction of anganwadi
buildings) accounted for 26.59 per cent of the outlay and education for 16.82 per
cent followed by water supply (12. 31 per cent) and construction of gram panchayat
buildings (11.99 per cent).
BRGF Plan 2007-2008
Sector wise Allocations
Sector
Total No.
of Works
Estimated Cost in
lakhs
Percentage
of Fund
allocation
Women and Child Welfare
Education
Rural Water Supply
4530
8771
26.59
5090
5539
5549
4061
16.82
12.31
2125
3954
11.99
179
877
2.66
23
364
445
196
972
1457
0.59
2.95
4.42
867
9777
28939
1090
6061
32988
3.30
18.37
Panchayat Infrastructure
Social Welfare Hostels
Construction
Backward Classes Welfare
Hostels Construction
çAnimal Husbandry
Primary Health
Rural Electrification
Others
Total
Surmounting hurdles in implementation
A number of pro-active steps need to be taken if the BGRF has to succeed in its
objectives of reducing regional imbalances by strengthening the local bodies to
effectively and efficiently serve the needs of rural areas on the basis of grass-root
level participatory plan.
To start with, urgent steps should be taken to strengthen capacity building of the
district planning committee and to provide for expert services to it in the formulation
of the plan. Panchayat functionaries and officials should be trained – the training
should be a continuing affair – to improve capacity building. It is heartening to note
that the Andhra Pradesh Academy for Rural Development (APARD) has taken the
lead in this direction by organising training programmes for the elected
representatives through distance education (satellite) mode. For its part, the State
Government should also release substantial funds to the local bodies to facilitate
formulation of grass root (gram panchayat) level plans. It should also issue
categorical instructions to the various departments to ensure timely and regular
release of funds to the gram panchayats. There will be no doubt that critical gaps in
local infrastructure and development works can be bridged and regional disparities
reduced if the peoples representatives in the local bodies agree to spend the funds
on prioritised works instead of sharing them on equitable basis.
***
Article Published in Sthanika Palalna a Telugu Monthly Magazine published by
AMR-APARD, Hyderabad, PP.11-13, March 2009
Translated in to English by
(dasu kesava rao, independent journalist, 302, janapriya prameela enclave,
umanagar, begumpet, hyderabad 500 016. contact: 040 23411450, 9394311450.
dasukesavarao@gmail.com dasukesavarao@yahoo.com
,
)