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Outcome Budget GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OUTCOME BUDGET OF DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015-2016 MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT CONTENTS Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - (i) - (iv) CHAPTER – I - Introduction 1 - 10 CHAPTER - II - Outcome Budget 2015-2016 11 - 24 CHAPTER – III - Reforms measures and Policy initiatives 25 - 43 CHAPTER – IV - Past performance of the Individual Programmes /Schemes 44 - 113 CHAPTER – V - Financial Review 114 -122 CHAPTER – VI - Performance of Autonomous Bodies 123- 137 CHAPTER – VII - Monitoring, Communication And Training Mechanism 138 -160 CHAPTER – VIII - Gender & SC/ST Budgeting 161-167 Executive Summary The Outcome Budget broadly indicates physical dimensions of the financial budgets indicating the actual physical performance in 2013-2014, 2014 - 2015 and targeted performance during 2015-2016. The Outcome Budget will be a tool to track not just the intermediate physical „outputs‟ that are more readily measurable but also the „outcomes‟, which are the end objectives of State intervention. 2. The Outcome Budget 2015-2016 broadly consists of the following Chapters: Chapter-I gives a brief introduction of the functions, organizational set up, list of major programmes / Schemes implemented by the Department, its mandate, goals and policy frame work. Chapter-II contains a tabular format (Statement) indicating the details of financial outlays, projected physical outputs and projected/budget outcomes for 2015-2016. Chapter-III gives the details of reforms measures and policy initiatives, if any, taken by the Department during the course of the year. Chapter-IV contains brief write-up of individual programmes/Schemes and also the review of past performance during 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 in terms of targets already set. Chapter-V gives overall view of the physical and financial targets and achievements under various programmes and the financial review covering overall trends in expenditure viz-a-vis Budget Estimates / Revised Estimates in recent years, including the current year. It also gives the position of outstanding utilization certificates and unspent balances with States and implementing agencies. Chapter-VI covers the performance of Statutory and Autonomous Bodies under the administrative control of the Department. Chapter-VII indicates the existing Monitoring, Information, Education & Communication (IEC) and Training Mechanism being followed in the Ministry. Chapter-VIII deals with Gender and SC/ST Budgeting under various programmes in the Ministry. (i) Monitoring Mechanism 3. The Ministry of Rural Development places special emphasis on Monitoring and Evaluation of its programmes being implemented in rural areas all over the country, particularly in view of the substantial step up in the allocation of funds under various Rural Development Programmes over the years. The success of the programmes largely depends on the effective delivery system and efficient implementation at the grass root level so that the programme benefits reach the rural poor in full measure. In order to ensure this, the Ministry has evolved a comprehensive multi-level and multi-tool system of Monitoring and Evaluation for the implementation of its programmes. The salient features are as under: i) There is an in-built monitoring mechanism in the guidelines of each Scheme of the Department so as to ensure that the objectives of the Schemes are achieved by their implementation. ii) Besides visiting States/UTs , the Minister of Rural Development and the Ministers of State for Rural Development periodically review the performance of programmes with the Chief Ministers, Ministers and officials of the State Governments concerned with the implementation of the programmes. iii) Continuous monitoring through periodical progress reports received from the State Governments depicting both the financial and physical progress of the programmes. The Ministry has streamlined the data processing system to ensure that Monthly Progress Reports are received by 10th of every month. iv) Furnishing of Utilisation Certificates, Audited Accounts and other requisite reports are a pre-condition for the release of the second and the subsequent instalments of grants-in-aid under the Schemes v) The officers dealing with the implementation of the programmes at State Headquarters visit the districts regularly to ensure that the programmes are being implemented satisfactorily. vi) The „Area Officers Scheme‟ introduced by the Ministry aims at monitoring the major programmes of the Ministry with special reference to quality, adherence to implementation schedule, flow of funds, proper utilisation of funds and achievement of physical and financial targets etc., through field visits. Officers visit their assigned State and districts at regular intervals and the important observations (ii) of such teams are shared with the State Government concerned, advising them totake appropriate corrective measures, wherever shortcomings are noticed. vii) A Performance Review Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary (RD) periodically reviews the performance of various programmes being implemented by the States and recommends corrective action wherever found necessary. viii) In order to minimize time lag in receiving progress reports of all the rural development programmes, and improve the quality of reporting, one Nodal Officer from each State co-ordinates with all the concerned Departments implementing rural development programmes in the respective States and attend the monthly review meetings. ix) With a view to fulfill the objective of ensuring quality in implementation, particularly in the context of large public funds being spent under the programmes of the Ministry, the Vigilance & Monitoring Committees are constituted for providing a crucial role for the Members of Parliament and elected representatives of the people in State Legislatures and Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of the Rural Development Programmes. x) A panel of National Level Monitors (NLMs) by involving ex- servicemen and retired civil servants has also been constituted to ensure effective implementation of rural development programmes in transparent manner and strictly in accordance with programme – wise guidelines. xi) Concurrent Evaluation studies are undertaken through reputed and independent Research Institutions/Organisations from time to time to evaluate the performance of various Rural Development Programmes at the field level, to assess the impact of the programmes. 4. The existing Monitoring Systems in the Ministry have been explained in detail in Chapter VII. Public Information System 5. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) plays a vital role in creating awareness, mobilizing people and making the development participatory throughadvocacy and by transferring knowledge, skills and techniques to the people. Moreover, IEC plays two most important (iii) roles – informative and persuasive and as such is crucial for bringing about requisite social mobilization and facilitating participatory development. 6. The Ministry is responsible for planning and executing IEC activities to create awareness about the programmes of the Ministry primarily amongst the target groups in the rural areas. IEC activities assume more significance in the context of the programmes of the Ministry which aim at improving the socio- economic conditions and which need to be implemented effectively in a time bound manner. 7. The Ministry has a well laid IEC strategy to disseminate information through both the traditional as well as modern media of communication viz press, radio, TV, printed material, outdoor publicity, folk and other traditional media etc. 8. In view of the magnitude of the task of reaching out to rural poor with information on rural development programmes and to mobilize participation of other segments of the society in rural development, IEC activities have been substantially scaled up. IEC activities undertaken by the Ministry are outlined in detail in Chapter VII. (iv) CHAPTER – I INTRODUCTION The basic function of the Ministry of Rural Development is to realise the objectives of alleviating rural poverty and ensuring improved quality of life for the rural population, especially those below the poverty line. These objectives are sought to be achieved through formulating, developing and implementing programmes relating to various spheres of rural life and a range of activities from income generation to environmental replenishment. 2. The Ministry consists of the following two Departments:- (i) Department of Rural Development (ii) Department of Land Resources 3. The Department of Rural Development implements schemes for generation of self-employment and wage employment, provision of housing to rural poor, construction of rural roads and improving the socio-economic condition of the rural poor by providing social assistance to the elderly, widow and the disabled persons. Apart from this, the Department provides support services such as assistance for strengthening of DRDA Administration, training & research, human resource development, development of voluntary action etc. for proper implementation of the programmes. It also undertakes IEC activities to promote awareness about rural development programmes in rural areas. 4. Department of Land Resources implements schemes to increase the bio- mass production by developing wastelands and degraded lands in the country. It also undertakes development of desert areas and drought prone areas in the country. The Department also provides support services
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