Assam not living up to expectations

Central rural development schemes

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 8: The Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojona (CMSGUY) is an ambitious scheme for the development rural Assam. However, Dispur has fallen short of living up to the expectations in the implementation of Central Government’s schemes for rural development. This has got reflected in the Union Ministry of Rural Development’s State Performance Report – 2017-18 and Action Plan 2018-19.

MGNREGA in Assam has generated 4.78 crore person-days, including 38.52 per cent women person-days, during 2017-18. The State could provide only 28.5 per cent average days of employment per household during 2017-18. A total expenditure of Rs 1490.08 crore was made under MGNREGA during 2017-18, out of which 50.57 per cent was spent on agriculture and allied activities. The report of the Ministry says that the State needs to focus on agriculture and irrigation-related activities under MGNREGA.

On National Resource Management (NRM) work, Assam has spent only 44 per cent of funds released on it. Against a target of 78,508 candidates during 2016-19 in DDU-GKY the State has been able to train only 21,000 candidates so far. The State has been able to connect 312 rural habitations by constructing 1509.92 km length of road under PMGSY during 2017-18 against a target of connecting 600 habitations by constructing 500 km length of roads. Under PMAY-G a cumulative target of 2,59,814 houses had been set for construction during 2016-17 and 2017-18; of which 16,299 houses have been constructed as on April 4, 2018.

Only 7.48 hectares of the 28.18 hectares cultivable land in the State have been brought under irrigation projects. So far only 38.95 per cent of agriculture and allied works have been implemented in the State with an expenditure of Rs 195051.3 lakh. In irrigation the percentage of work done is 21.3 per cent against an expenditure of Rs 106651.48 lakh.