2011-2012, Government of India Sanctioned Further Rs.30.00 Crore for Paschim Medinipur District
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Foreword The erstwhile Department of Development & Planning was bifurcated in February 2012 resulting in the creation of the Department of Statistics & Programme Implementation. The Planning Department is continuing with the work of the erstwhile department of Development & Planning except monitoring of schemes of the other line departments which has now been taken care of by the new department of Statistics & Programme Implementation. However for the better part of the Financial Year of 2011- 12, this department functioned as Development & Planning Department. It was responsible for formulation of the State’s Annual Plans and Five Year Plans in collaboration with different Departments of the Government and in consonance with the guidelines of the Planning Commission of India. The department also facilitates the preparation of the District Plans by the District Planning Committees. The Development & Planning Department asumed two major initiatives for enhancing the speed of work in the districts. For strengthening the functioning of the district administration, the department tried to adopt the concept of 3rd Party Evaluation. To start with the Bureau of Applied Economics & Statistics was tasked to visit the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Paschim Medinipur and the districts of North Bengal to report the vacancies in the various line departments, collectorates etc. This was an exercise to facilitate to filling up of posts which are lying vacant. Also new Development Monitoring Committees were set up at districts, sub-divisions and at block levels for i) ensuring coordination among field-level functionaries of respective departments., ii) speedy execution of various projects, iii) proper delivery of public services and iv) enhancing quality of implementation of projects and programmes. It is hoped that these measures will give a fillip for speedy and quality execution of schermes in the districts. Along with the formulation of the Annual Plan 2012-13, the Planning Department has taken up in all seriousness the preparation of Vision and Strategies for the 12th Five Year Plan with assistance of the State Planning Board. The implementation of projects under the Integrated Action Plan and the projects announced for the three L.W.E. affected districts of the State i.e. Paschim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia have been continuing in right earnest. Frequent video conferences are held with the district administration along with local visits for successful and timely implementation of these projects. 2 It is a matter of pride for the State that the Department received in March, 2012 the ‘MANAV VIKAS AWARD, 2012’ for overall excellence in preparation of District Human Development Reports from UNDP and the Planning Commission. District Human Development Reports have been completed in 12 districts till now and the ‘MANAV BIKAS AWARD, 2012’ was also won for the reports on the three districts of Malda, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas. The Annual Report of the Planning Department for the year 2011-12 depicts the year long activities taken up by the department. I hope that this report will be of help to all concerned, I sincerely thank all those whose efforts have assisted in publication of this important document. Kolkata, June 2012 Manish Gupta 3 1. INTRODUCTION During February 2012, Development & Planning Department has been bifurcated into Department of Planning and Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Uttarbanga Unnayan Parshad, which had been looked after by the earstwhile Development and Planning Department has also been transferred to the Department of North Bengal Development. The Department of Planning is responsible for the formulation of the State’s Annual Plans and the Five year Plans in collaboration with the different Departments of the Government and in consonance with the guidelines of the Planning Commission of India. The Department also facilitates the preparation of the District Plans by the District Planning Committees. The Department takes the responsibility of looking into all matter relating to the constitution and functioning of the State Planning Board and District Planning Committees. The vision and strategies of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) is being finalized by the Department at present. The Hon’ble Members of the State Planning Board have held meetings with the Heads of the line Departments of the State Government to finalize the Vision. A “Human Development Resource Coordination Centre” had been set up under the Department as a way forward to focus on Human Development issues in the planning process. The project “Strengthening State Plan for Human Development” had been initiated since 2005 and it received its fund from Planning Commission of India and United Nations Development Programme till 30.4.2010. Post April 2010, the Programme is funded by the State Government. For overall excellence in the preparation of DHDRs, Planning Commission and UNDP conferred MANAV VIKAS Award 2012 to West Bengal. Out of 44 DHDRs, prepared all over India, DHDR for Malda ranked 1st in the Gender and Inclusion; DHDR for Hooghly ranked 2nd in Innovation and Measurement and DHDR for North 24 Parganas ranked 2nd in Quality of Analysis. MANAV VIKASH AWARD 2012 was received by these three districts also. In the year 2010-2011, Paschim Medinipur district was declared as LWE affected district and Government of India sanctioned Rs.25.00 crore for implementation of 5 developmental schemes for 11 LWE affected Blocks under Integrated Action Plan (IAP). In the year 2011-2012, Government of India sanctioned further Rs.30.00 crore for Paschim Medinipur district. In the year 2011-2012, Government of India also declared 8 Blocks in Purulia district and 4 Blocks in Bankura district as LWE affected and Rs.30.00 crore for each district has been sanctioned by Government of India. Recently Joypur Block of Purulia has been recognised as a LWE affected Block. As desired by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, different Departments of Government of West Bengal have undertaken a number of schemes for the overall development of Jungle Mahal areas. The schemes are now being monitored by the Department of Planning. Needless to say that this is the first time that serious focus has been given on all-round development of tribal areas. The Department of Planning is also the Nodal Department for monitoring of the implementation of the Government of India programmes - ‘Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD). The Department also implements and monitors schemes of Bidhayak Elaka Unnayan Prakalpa, Natural Resource Data Management System and District Innovation Fund- a scheme undertaken under 13th Finance Commission. 6 2A. Organisation of the Department The Department is composed of the following Cells. i. Planning Cell This Cell is responsible for the formulation of Annual Plans and Five- Year Plans for the State in close cooperation with the State Planning Board. Implementation of schemes like BEUP etc. is also its responsibility. It also looks after the provision of funds for district planning set up. Appraisal of the Plans (Annual Plans and Five –Year Plans) is also undertaken by this cell periodically. Planning Commission has given Rs.25 crore in 2010-2011 for implementation of schemes taken up under Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for Paschim Medinipur district covering 11 LWE Blocks during 2010-2011. During 2011-2012 Bankura and Purulia districts have been included under IAP. For the three districts i.e. Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura total Rs.90 crore has been given by the Planning Commission @ Rs.30 crore per district for the financial year 2011-2012. This Cell also looks after One Time ACA, District Innovation Fund and Development Monitoring Committee. ii. Strengthening the State Plan for Human Development (SSPHD) SSPHD Project has been taken up with the publication of State Human Development Report 2004. This Department has taken a number of initiatives to meet the objective of strengthening the capacity of state planners, to provide human development perspective for State Plans, as well as taking measures for strengthening the State Statistical System. iii. UUP (Uttarbanga Unnayan Parshad) Cell The cell looked after implementation of development schemes in the six districts of North Bengal under Special Areas Programme including allocation of funds to the Commissioner, Jalpaiguri Division, who is the ex-officio Member-Secretary of the Parshad. During 2011 it had been decided that UUP will function under North Bengal Development Department. iv. MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) Cell This cell monitors and supervises the implementation of the MPLAD Scheme in the State The release of funds as per the entitlement of the Members according to the provisions of the MPLADS guidelines is done by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation-Government of India. As Planning Department is the Nodal Department for the State the cell has to maintain constant liaison with MOSPI-GOI, the District Authorities and the Hon’ble Members of Parliament, both Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha. During the financial year 2011-2012 allocation of fund for each M.P. has been increased from Rs.2 crore to Rs.5 crore per year. 8 v. BEUP (Bidhayak Elaka Unnayan Prakalpa) Cell This cell looks into the policy matter relating to the Prakalpa and monitors and supervises the implementation of the Prakalpa. The release of funds as per the entitlement of the Members as per the provisions of the BEUP Guidelines is also done by this cell. Queries and interpretations related to BEUP guidelines are settled by this Cell. vi. RTI (Right to Information Act, 2005) Cell The RTI cell receives and deals with the applications filed under the Right to Information Act, 2005. In terms of Manual 16, one State Public Information Officer, one Assistant Public Information Officer and one Appellate Authority have been appointed in this Department under the said Act. vii. Computerization, NRDMS & E-governance Cell This cell looks after office computerization, NRDMS Centres and matters relating to E- governance in the Department.