Arunachal Pradesh 3.2 Bihar 3.3 Jammu and Kashmir 3.4 Mizoram 3.5 Uttarakhand
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NATIONAL RURAL ROADS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Public Disclosure Authorized Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) - Social Assessment of World Bank Funded Second Rural Road Project Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Volume I Study Report - Draft Report February 2008 Public Disclosure Authorized 1 FAITH HEALTHCARE PRIVATE LIMITED f AITH 57. NEHKU PLACE (5THFLOOR), NEW DELHI - 110 01 9 CONSULTING ENGINEERING SERVICES (1) PVT. LTD. 57, NEHRU PLACE (5TH FLOOR), NEW DELHI - 110 01 9 Project: Social Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Sheet i of i Document: F2006040 February 2008 Draft Final Report \Contents Revision: R3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2.0 WORKAPPROACHANDMETHODOLOGY 2.1 Study Approach 2.2 Study Methodology 2.3 State-wise Samples 2.4 Operational Limitations 3.0 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE STATES 3.1 Arunachal Pradesh 3.2 Bihar 3.3 Jammu and Kashmir 3.4 Mizoram 3.5 Uttarakhand 4.0 REVIEW OF RELEVANT POLICIES AND ACTS 4.1 International Policies 4.2 National Policies and Acts 4.3 State Specific Acts 5.0 WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS AND SALIENT RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Workshop Objectives 5.2 Workshop Participants 5.3 Workshop Proceedings 5.4 Salient Recommendations and Future Actions for Stakeholders 6.0 STUDY Fl NDINGS 6.1 Assessment of Current Processes and Impacts 6.2 Findings from the PAP / PAF Survey 6.3 Findings from the FGDs 6.4 Constraints and Gaps ANNEXES Annex I - List of Abbreviations FAlT-l Healthcare Private Limited \\&lnre* wrO)\VOC WCmknO.da Project: Social Assessment of Radhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Sheet 1of 2 Document: F2006040 February 2008 Draft Final Report \ Vol. I \ Chapter 1 Revision: R3 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The Prime Minister's Rural Road Program - Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana - is an intervention undertaken by the Ministry of Rural Development as a poverty alleviation strategy. The program was launched in December 2000, and aimed specifically at connecting rural habitations with the construction of all weather roads. In the first phase of the program, those rural habitations with populations of over 1000 would be eligible, and in the second phase habitations with populations between 500-1000 would be eligible. In hill states, desert and tribal areas with populations of over 250 would be connected. No further work can be undertaken by the PMGSY once a habitation is connected to another by an all weather road. The PMGSY is a means of increasing agriculture and other income by improving economic and social services in rural areas. Along with the technical feasibility study of core link roads, it is mandatory to analyse the strategic and practical needs of the people before reaching a final decision of building the road with particular alignment and quality. Thus, a Social Analysis of those who are affected and benefited by the road connectivity should be conducted. The assessment and recommendations, both, demand-people oriented approach and micro-planning. Planning and implementation of PMGSY should also assess demand, absorptive capacity, rehabilitation issues as well as adverse impacts (if any) of such road links. Hence, the scheme not only needs to take care of technical aspects, or quality of all- weather road, but also take into account local people's views, options, needs and experiences. Keeping this in mind, in 2003, the Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) prepared an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for application on Bank funded works under this project, which was endorsed by participating states in 2004. The safeguard instruments that were developed are (i) Environment and Social Management Framework; and (ii) Resettlement and Participation Framework (R&PF). The implementation of the measures suggested in these instruments need to be in conjunction with Operations Manual (OM) prepared for the PMGSY road projects. Furthermore, the concerned legislations, policies and special provisions (Tribal, Vulnerable Groups etc.) need to be reviewed. The social issues are to be addressed through participatory mechanism (Community Planning) involving information sharing and sensitisation of PAPs / PAFs with the help of various agencies and community groups. The process may be difficult and time consuming and sometimes steps are skipped. The Ministry of Rural Development, NRRDA and Planning Commission have commissioned studies to understand the impact, constraints, gaps etc. These studies have pointed out various gaps like: The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the project proponent and PAPs is not a legal entity for mutation. No verification of ownership of land impacted or likely to be impacted is done unless the landowner has raised an objection during land width accretion. FArlH Healthcare Private Limited \\rrrda~x~n*FMR(~)\VDL noI Project: Social Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Sheet 2 of 2 Document: F2006040 February 2008 Draft Final Report \ Vol. I \ Chapter 1 Revision: R3 During finalisation of alignment, no provision has been made to mitigate the loss of vulnerable groups such as small and marginal farmers, women headed households, scheduled community, households below poverty line and physically challenged persons. Assessment of dependence of the community on existing natural resources, non timber forest produces and other resources have not been addressed during the project planning and implementation stage. There is no formal grievance redressal mechanism in place Absence of Nodal Social Officer at NRRDA - There is no budget head to mitigate losses suffered by the community members. The current study 'Social Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)" assesses the social concerns in five PMGSY project states - Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram and Uttarakhand. Furthermore, the study has also developed Social Management Frameworks (SPIFs), namely: i) Resettlement Policy Framework; ii) Tribal Development Framework; iii) Screening And Consultation Framework and iv) Information Package for Dissemination; This Social Assessment study, on the whole, focused its attention on the following: w Assessment of social processes and procedures during the PMGSY projects and people's perspectives on the difficulties faced and benefits of new PMGSY roads; Preparation of state-specific frameworks to manage social issues, with the subsequent review and endorsement of the governments of the project states. However, keeping in mind the suggested revision of Institutional Mechanism, expansion of committees (such as BLSC, DISC, SISC.) by incorporating other line departments (WCD, SW, LRD, TD etc), the PMGSY projects may require a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with these agencies for their specific inputs in the PMGSY projects. Further, Affidavits between the PAPS / PAFs and the PMGSY project execution level i.e. DPIU Executive Engineer (EE) may also be required with regards to land acquisition. FATTH Healthcare Private Limited \\mdal3\HR Wr(3)\YOL fit311.4 Project: Social Assessment of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Sheet 1of 6 Document: F2006040 February 2008 Draft Final Report \ Vol. I \ Chapter 2 Revision: R3 2.0 WORK APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 2.1 APPROACH The study had two dimensions, i) assessment of compliances towards PMGSY guidelines of the processes and procedures for planning and implementation of the project, and (ii) understanding the role/participation of all beneficiaries, focusing on the critical issues related to Project Affected Persons (PAPs). The second dimension is essential, as it involves legalities of land transfer, mitigation of problems arising from construction of the road rehabilitation of people whose homes, land and livelihoods are aversely affected by the project. In other words, the study assessed the processes followed for PMGSY projects and the Impact of the project, both direct and indirect, on individuals (PAPs) and the community as a whole. The approach of the study broadly adopted participatory research techniques, analysis of secondary information/documents as also anthropological techniques of observation (of the research team) and inferences thereof. 2.2 METHODOLOGY In order to evaluate whether the PMGSY Guidelines were being adhered to, the relevant documentation was obtained at planning stage and implementation stage. In each of the stage, the technical component including legal aspects and the social components, were separately noted and assessed through (a) Examination of records/ documents; (b) Interaction/Interview with official/implementers, (c) Discussion with Project Affected Persons, (d) Focused Group Discussions, and (e) Survey of Project Affected households. The assessments were carried out through both qualitative and quantitative techniques. All villages linked, and all people affected by each selected PMGSY (project) link road, were under investigation for the study. The process - starting with project cycle; sub-project details - mandatory ground work for district rural road plan; identification of core network and approval by District Panchayat; finalization of alignment etc. - all were assessed and analysed. At the same time the study also investigated the process of information sharing, confidence building, sensitization/ awareness building of communities of habitations/villages for whom the project was to bring benefit as also for people who are directly affected by the project (PAP). The issue of loss of land, asset, shelter by PAP and mitigation of problems both