Till now 259.16 lakh Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
have been distributed under the Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) scheme. In
the 11th Plan total funds allocated for the scheme were Rs.18.32 crores.
The BLY scheme has been designed on Public Private Partnership mode.
The Umbrella Framework for BLY has been registered as a Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) Programme of Activities (PoA). The private
investors can participate in the BLY scheme and develop the CDM projects
and distribute CFLs in co-ordination with the State Electricity
Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). The private investor invests into the
BLY project and earns the carbon credits for the same. Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE) acts as an overall coordinator for the BLY
projects.
Under the BLY Scheme, no exemption/tax holiday/subsidy is provided to
the CFL manufacturers. The scheme was approved for the 11th Plan and is
proposed with modifications in the 12th Plan also.
Showing posts with label SCHEMES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SCHEMES. Show all posts
Friday, April 27, 2012
Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme
Panchayat Empowerment and
Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) is a Central Sector Plan Scheme being
implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj since 2005-06. PEAIS aims to (i) incentivize
States to devolve 3Fs (functions, funds and functionaries) to Panchayats and (ii) incentivize Panchayats
to put in place accountability systems to make their functioning transparent
and efficient. Performance of States is
measured through a Devolution Index (DI) prepared through an independent
agency. Awards are given to best
performing States/UTs based on their rank on DI annually. From 2011-2012, Panchayats
have been incentivized for their performance during the year 2010-2011. The
State/UT Governments have been advised to utilise the amount released for the
development of Panchayati Raj in the State.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Employment Guarantee Scheme
The Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that the Scheme of Swarna Jayanti
Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) in implementation from 1997 has been
revamped recently in the year 2009. The livelihoods conditions in urban
areas are vastly different from those in rural areas.
She said, in the urban areas what is perhaps more required is skill development of the urban poor as well as facilitation of sustainable self-employment opportunities for them instead of focusing on unskilled wage employment as is the case in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS). The recently revised guidelines of SJSRY lays considerable focus on skill development of the urban poor to enhance their employability, so as to enable them to take advantage of increasing job opportunities in the urban areas.
She said, in the urban areas what is perhaps more required is skill development of the urban poor as well as facilitation of sustainable self-employment opportunities for them instead of focusing on unskilled wage employment as is the case in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS). The recently revised guidelines of SJSRY lays considerable focus on skill development of the urban poor to enhance their employability, so as to enable them to take advantage of increasing job opportunities in the urban areas.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Central Schemes for Empowerment of Women
Several schemes have been launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for empowerment of women.
The Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG), or Sabla, is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at all-round development of adolescent girls of 11-18 years. The focus is all out-of-school adolescent girls. It aims at making them ‘self-reliant’ by improving their health and nutrition status, promoting awareness about health, hygiene, nutrition, adolescent reproductive and sexual health, family and child care and facilitating access to public services through various interventions such as guidance and counselling and vocational training. It also aims towards mainstreaming out-of-school adolescent girls into formal/non-formal education. Nearly 100 lakh adolescent girls per annum are expected to be benefitted under the scheme. It has been introduced in the year 2010-11 on a pilot basis in 200 districts from all the States/UTs.
The Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) is a Conditional Maternity Benefit (CMB) centrally sponsored scheme for pregnant and lactating women. Under this scheme cash incentives are provided to for improved health and nutrition to pregnant and nursing mothers. The beneficiaries are paid Rs. 4000/-in three installments per head, between the second trimester and till the child attains the age of 6 months, on fulfilling specific conditions related to maternal and child health. Pregnant women of 19 years of age and above are entitled for benefits under the scheme for first two live births. This does not include Government/ PSU (Central and State) employees. The scheme was introduced in October, 2010 on pilot basis in 52 selected districts and is being implemented using the platform of ICDS. The grant-in-aid is released to States/UTs, while cash transfer to beneficiaries is being made through Bank Accounts/ Post Office Accounts subject to the beneficiary fulfilling specific conditions. Around 12.5 lakhs pregnant and lactating women are expected to benefit under the scheme every year. In 2011-12, Rs 293.83crore has been released to the States/UTs for implementation of the scheme.
In addition, the Priyadarshini scheme is an IFAD assisted pilot project for Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme in the midGangetic plains. It aims at holistic empowerment of vulnerable groups of women and adolescent girls through formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and promotion of improved livelihood opportunities. The programme is implemented in 13 blocks spread over five districts in Uttar Pradesh i.e Baharaich, CSM Nagar, Raebareli, Shravasti and Sultanpur and two districts Madhubani and Sitamarhi in Bihar. Over 100000 households are planned to be covered under the project and 7200 SHGs will be formed during the project period ending 2016-17. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is the lead programme agency for the implementation; funds are not given to the State Governments.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has also launched the Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) in 1986-87 with the aim of upgrading skills of women for self and wage employment. The target group includes the marginalized assetless rural women and urban poor. Special focus is on identified focal districts in which women are particularly disadvantaged. The project duration is for 5 years with beneficiaries’ ranging from 200-10000 and a maximum per capita cost of Rs 16000. The funds are directly released to different NGOs and not to the State Governments.
The Government of India has also launched the National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) for holistic empowerment of women. This is a centrally sponsored scheme conceived as an umbrella Mission with a mandate to strengthen inter-sectoral convergence and facilitate the process of coordinating all the women’s welfare and socio-economic development programmes across ministries and departments. The Mission is mandated to facilitate the processes that contribute to economic empowerment of women, eliminate violence against women, social empowerment of women with emphasis on health and education, gender mainstreaming of policies, programmes and institutional arrangements and awareness generation and advocacy for bridging information and service gaps.
Details of funds released and utilized under various schemes during each of the last three years and the current year are given below:
Sl. No.
|
Name of Scheme
|
Year
|
Funds Released (Rs Cr)
|
Funds Utilized
(Rs. Cr.)
|
1.
|
STEP
|
2008-09
|
16.02
| |
2009-10
|
12.28
| |||
2010-11
|
24.31
| |||
2011-12
|
3.71
| |||
2.
|
Priyadarshini
|
2010-11
|
5.82
| |
2011-12
|
15.74
|
1.28
| ||
3.
|
Indira Gandhi Matritva SahyogYojana (IGMSY)
|
2010-11
|
117.95
|
3.61
|
2011-12
|
293.83
|
0.23
| ||
4.
|
SABLA
|
2010-11
|
296.73
|
44.28
|
2011-12
|
558.55
|
329.27
| ||
5.
|
NMEW
|
2011-12
|
6.10
|
**
|
** Utilization Certificate is not yet due, activities under the Mission have started in some States/U.Ts
Monday, March 19, 2012
New Schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the 12th Five Year Plan
Based on the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) the
Ministry of Minority Affairs has proposed to implement the following new
schemes in the 12th Five Year Plan towards inclusive development to empower the
minorities:
(i)
Interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies scheme for the
students belonging to minority communities with the objective of providing
financial assistance by way of extending interest subsidy on education loans to
students of minority communities for
pursuing higher studies abroad;
(ii) Free bicycle for Girl
Students of Class IX with the objective of retention of minority girl students
from Class IX onwards;
(iii) Support for students
clearing Prelims Conducted by UPSC/SSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC)
etc. with the objective to support candidates from the minority communities who qualify at the preliminary Examinations
conducted by Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), State Public Service Commissions
(PSCs) etc. to improve their representation in government services;
(iv) Scheme for promotion of
education in 100 minority concentration towns/cities having substantial minority population,
for empowering the minorities. This would be in the form of providing
infrastructure for various levels of schools, including teaching aids and also
for up-gradation and construction of infrastructure for skill and vocational education along with
hostel facility;
(v) Village development
programme for villages not covered by minority concentration blocks (MCBs)/
minority concentration districts(MCDs)
to address the development needs for 1000 villages inhabited by minority
communities but falling outside the selected
minority concentration districts. The main objective of the scheme is to provide
infrastructure for socio-economic development and basic amenities;
(vi) Support to Districts
Level institution in MCDs to give financial support for setting up and running
district level institutions for minority welfare in Minority Concentration Districts;
and
(vii) Skill Development
Initiatives to enhance employment and livelihood skills of minorities by providing skills and
skills up-gradation to the minority communities.
Earlier, the National
Advisory Council had submitted its report titled “Towards Inclusive
Development to Empower Minorities” with the following major recommendations:
(i)
For implementation of
the Multi sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) and Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme, rural
and urban areas with a high concentration of minorities should be the Unit of Planning with focus on
access to basic services such as ICDS services, clean drinking water,
individual sanitation, sewerage and drainage;
(ii) Formal engagement of
non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in all the Minority Concentration
Districts for monitoring and mandatory social audits;
(iii) Substantially enhancing allocation for MsDP in 12th Plan;
(iv) Revision of MsDP
guidelines to ensure that need based proposals have synergy with the 15- Point
Programme rather than duplication;
(v) Establishment of a credible data bank on an
urgent basis for operationalisation of the Assessment
and Monitoring Agency;
(vi) Expansion of the 15 Point
Programme to include schemes such as small and medium industries, youth
affairs, agriculture;
(vii) Scholarships Schemes: a) Make the Pre-Matric
scholarships a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme ; b) Make the Pre- matric and Post- matric
scholarship Schemes demand – driven and
universal schemes; c) Increase the scholarship amount for Post- Matric scholarships with rationalized and differing
scholarship structure for different categories (10+2, Basic Degree Courses,
Professional Degree Courses); d) Increase amount and number of Merit-cum- means
and Maulana Azad National Fellowships; e) Ensure a
radical simplification of procedures at all levels to make schemes accessible
to those who need them most; and
(viii) Establish residential
social welfare hostels for minority children from class VI to XII and
residential schools in minorities blocks and
towns/cities.
DEPB Scheme
Government has withdrawn DEPB Scheme with effect from
1.10.2011. It was decided that revised duty drawback rates are
extended to items which were in the DEPB Scheme. The Duty Drawback
Scheme, which was announced for the year 2011-12 on 20.9.2011
(effective from 1.10.2011) has 1096 new items. The Scheme was earlier
extended for a further period of 3 months from 30.6.2011, i.e., upto
30.9.2011 so as to facilitate a smooth transition once the DEPB Scheme
is phased out. Government has received requests from various industries
for extension of DEPB Scheme. The decision to phase out DEPB has not
been reconsidered.
MGNREGS under RSBY
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), providing
for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30000/- per
annum per family ( a unit of five) to BPL families in the unorganized
sector, has been extended to such Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) beneficiaries who have worked more
than 15 days during the preceding financial year.
The premium is shared between Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25 and in case of States in North Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir, the ratio of sharing of premium is 90:10. The beneficiaries are required to pay registration/ renewal fee of Rs. 30 per annum only.
The numbers of beneficiaries under RSBY, Health insurance scheme for handloom weavers, Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthaya Bima Yojana (RGSSBY) for handicraft artisans, Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS) are at Annexure- I to IV respectively.
The RSBY has also been extended to building and other construction workers registered under the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996 and street vendors, beedi workers and domestic workers. It is the endeavour of the Government to extend RSBY to other occupational groups in the unorganized sector in a phased manner.
This information was given by Minister of Labour and Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply in reply to a written question a)whether the Government is planning to bring Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY); if so, the details thereof; the premium, required to be paid by the workers under the revised scheme; the number of workers from unorganised sectors benefited from various health insurance schemes so far during the last three years, State-wise including Uttarakhand; and whether there is any proposal to provide health insurance to all citizens for basic health under the scheme; and the steps taken by the Government to cover more such workers under the RSBY
The premium is shared between Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25 and in case of States in North Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir, the ratio of sharing of premium is 90:10. The beneficiaries are required to pay registration/ renewal fee of Rs. 30 per annum only.
The numbers of beneficiaries under RSBY, Health insurance scheme for handloom weavers, Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthaya Bima Yojana (RGSSBY) for handicraft artisans, Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS) are at Annexure- I to IV respectively.
The RSBY has also been extended to building and other construction workers registered under the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996 and street vendors, beedi workers and domestic workers. It is the endeavour of the Government to extend RSBY to other occupational groups in the unorganized sector in a phased manner.
This information was given by Minister of Labour and Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply in reply to a written question a)whether the Government is planning to bring Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY); if so, the details thereof; the premium, required to be paid by the workers under the revised scheme; the number of workers from unorganised sectors benefited from various health insurance schemes so far during the last three years, State-wise including Uttarakhand; and whether there is any proposal to provide health insurance to all citizens for basic health under the scheme; and the steps taken by the Government to cover more such workers under the RSBY
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Centre launches two new schemes for rural poor from Kerala
The centre has launched two new rural development
schemes from the Thrissur district of Kerala aimed at helping the women
working in farm sector through the intervention and integration of other
such schemes. The second scheme launched from Thrissur and Malapuram
districts is rechristened as new PURA( Provision of Urban Amenities in
Rural Areas), which is aimed at creating physical infrastructure in
rural areas of the country in the Public-Private Partnership mode.
Launching both the schemes, the Union Minister of Rural Development Sh
Jairam Ramesh said here that the government is embarking on a very
important journey by launching the two national projects, whose results
will be visible to the common man in the coming three to four years. The
first project called Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Yojana has two
components with a budgetary provision of Rs 80 crore each and is
designed for improving the economic status of about three lakh women
workers in the state of Kerala. The scheme will be launched in the
entire country based on the feedbacks as is being done in the case of
Kutumbshri scheme, which is highly successful in Kerala and other states
are demanding for replicating the same self-help group model.
Responding to the queries of the Kerala Chief Minister that timing for
MGNREGA scheme for women workers should be fixed from 9.AM to 4. PM,
Shri Ramesh assured that the Centre will seriously look into the matter
as the women have other family responsibilities also. He also informed
the Chief Minister, present on the occasion that dairy related works
will be included in the MGNREGA from 1st of April this year as an expert
committee has recommended the same in this regard. It is pertinent to
mention here that women constitute more than 90 percent of the all
MGNREGA workers in the state.
Launching the PURA project from the Thrissur and Malapuram districts of Kerala, the Rural Development Minister said this is different from the PURA conceived by the former President Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, as the new project deals with water supply, sanitation and improvement of roads as key focus areas and is not related to the Knowledge connectivity idea of Dr Kalam. Moreover, under this all central government schemes will be integrated under the Gram Panchayat as nodal agency and there will be Public-private partnership between the Central Government, State Government and the private players to build and improve upon the physical infrastructure. Shri Ramesh said, initially there will be eight PURA projects in the country which can be extended to 500 centres known as census towns (semi-urban & semi-rural) as the latest census talks about over 3500 such areas in the country.
Launching the PURA project from the Thrissur and Malapuram districts of Kerala, the Rural Development Minister said this is different from the PURA conceived by the former President Dr A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, as the new project deals with water supply, sanitation and improvement of roads as key focus areas and is not related to the Knowledge connectivity idea of Dr Kalam. Moreover, under this all central government schemes will be integrated under the Gram Panchayat as nodal agency and there will be Public-private partnership between the Central Government, State Government and the private players to build and improve upon the physical infrastructure. Shri Ramesh said, initially there will be eight PURA projects in the country which can be extended to 500 centres known as census towns (semi-urban & semi-rural) as the latest census talks about over 3500 such areas in the country.
Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme
Integrated Low Cost Sanitation (ILCS) Scheme started
with the objective of eradicating all dry latrines and thereby
liberating manual scavengers from inhuman practice of carrying night
soil. The scheme also has provision for construction of new latrines for
the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) households who have no latrine
facility.
Sanctions have been made and funds have been released for conversion of all reported dry latrines to the States. Out of the funds available for construction of sanitary latrines to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) households, funds have been fully committed and projects sanctioned for construction of 1,70,337 new latrines and States have reported that work is in progress.
ILCS scheme is in its final year of implementation and the mandate of the scheme was conversion of dry latrines which has been fully achieved with total sanction of projects for conversion of all dry latrines reported by State Governments.
Sanctions have been made and funds have been released for conversion of all reported dry latrines to the States. Out of the funds available for construction of sanitary latrines to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) households, funds have been fully committed and projects sanctioned for construction of 1,70,337 new latrines and States have reported that work is in progress.
ILCS scheme is in its final year of implementation and the mandate of the scheme was conversion of dry latrines which has been fully achieved with total sanction of projects for conversion of all dry latrines reported by State Governments.
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