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Panchayats to get poverty alleviation funds

Panchayats to get poverty alleviation funds The Union government is about to substantially cut down the number of poverty alleviation programmes it runs. Known as the centrally-sponsored schemes (csss), these projects have long been criticised for being out-of-sync with local governments. So, a high powered committee constituted by the Planning Commission has recommended that panchayati raj institutions (pris) play a major role in implementing csss. The Union government will implement only a handful of the 214 poverty alleviation programmes, if this committee chaired by former bureaucrat Arvind Verma has its way.

The committee's recommendations might well be implemented in the 11th Five-Year Plan that begins in 2007-2008."We are demanding a further reduction in the centre's role in css operations,' Union minister for panchayati raj (mopr), Mani Shanker Aiyar, said at the release of his ministry's mid-term review reports.
Prune them Currently, several ministries or departments run 214 poverty alleviation schemes with an annual outlay of more than Rs 36,112 crore (2004-05 budget estimates). A mere 18 of these schemes constitute more than 87 per cent of total central government assistance at a total outlay of Rs 31,490 crore.

One of the mandates of the Verma committee was to look into such irrationalities. Orienting poverty alleviation programmes to the functions of pris was another task assigned to this planning commission-appointed body. It has recommended that:

• csss be reoriented to fit the constitutional functions of local bodies

• 130 schemes with a total outlay of Rs 300 crore to be wound up or merged with other flagship schemes of the Union government

• The Planning Commission to rate each state into three categories

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