MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI V. KISHORE CHANDRA DEO)
(a): The Backward Regions Grant Fund is designed to redress regional imbalances in development.
The fund will provide financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental
inflows into identified districts, so as to:
(a) Bridge critical gaps in local infrastructure and other development requirements that are not
being adequately met through existing inflows,
(b) Strengthen, to this end Panchayat and Municipality level governance with more appropriate
capacity building, to facilitate participatory planning, decision making, implementation and
monitoring, to reflect local felt needs,
(c) Provide professional support to local bodies for planning, implementation and monitoring
their plans,
(d) Improve the performance and delivery of critical functions assigned to Panchayats,
and counter possible efficiency and equity losses on account of inadequate local capacity.
The list of BRGF districts is at Annex-1
(b): The details of funds allocated and released to the States for the Local Bodies including
the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) Programme
along with the expenditure reported by the States are at Annex-2. The Programme has 2 components.
The Development Grant under the scheme is largely untied and used for filling critical
infrastructural gaps like roads, bridges, Anganwadi Centres, class rooms in schools,
Panchayat buildings, community centres, drinking water, rural electrification infrastructure,
health centres etc. as included in the District Plans. Under the Capacity Building
component funds are released for creation of training infrastructure and conducting training
programmes for the elected representatives and functionaries of local bodies. An independent
review-cum-evaluation of the BRGF was undertaken by the World Bank in eight States in July
2009. In its report it is noted that the BRGF has stimulated a process of PRI/ ULB
strengthening, particularly in poor States and districts and laid the foundation for
achieving its objectives. The report has also noted that the projects are generally
addressing the felt needs for removal of backwardness.
(c): The Ministry has taken several steps for timely allocation and release of BRGF
grants some of which are as under:
(i) Technical support is extended to the States through empanelled Technical Support
Institutions (TSIs) for facilitating preparation and integration of the local
plans into the District Perspective Plans and District Annual Plans.
(ii) Time lines for the preparation and submission of District Plans have
been laid down.
(iii) Advisories stand issued to the States for improving programme planning
and management.
(iv) Three Regional Workshops on Perspective Plans for Capacity Building &
Training (CB&T) of Elected Representatives and Functionaries of Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs) were conducted in the month of May-June, 2011. In these Workshops,
the issues relating to CB&T of Elected Representatives and Functionaries
were intensely deliberated and States advised to draw up suitable strategies and
CB&T plans for the Elected Representatives and functionaries.
(v) BRGF funds are required to be transferred to the Implementing Entities within
15 days of the release of funds to the Consolidated Fund of the States failing which
a penal interest is required to be paid by the State Governments.
(d): A list showing the complaints received and Action Taken thereon is at Annex-3.
(e): No Sir.
