Integrated Action Plan .... Jairam Ramesh makes sense ..... babus don't want others to encroach their domain

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Maoist-hit states against move to bring Integrated Action Plan under panchayati raj ministry

Vishwa Mohan,TNN | Oct 19, 2012, 03.17AM IST 

Maoist-hit states on Thursday gave thumbs down to Jairam Ramesh's suggestion to bring the ongoing Integrated Action Plan (IAP) scheme for "accelerated development" in 82 naxal-affected districts under the panchayati raj ministry.

NEW DELHI: Maoist-hit states on Thursday gave thumbs down to the rural development minister Jairam Ramesh's suggestion to bring the ongoing Integrated Action Plan (IAP) scheme, which is being implemented by the Planning Commission for "accelerated development" in 82 naxal-affected districts, under the panchayati raj ministry. The states preferred to maintain status quo.

States' representatives expressed their opinion during a meeting of chief secretary and directors general of police of the nine naxal-affected states here in the home ministry.

"States want status quo as they think the IAP scheme under the current format - where it is being implemented by Planning Commission and jointly monitored by the home ministry - has been quite effective in carrying out speedy development of the Maoist-affected districts", said an official.

He said the states believed that involvement of elected panchayat representatives in the decision-making process for the IAP scheme - as suggested by Ramesh - may delay the implementation and hence defeat the purpose of "accelerated development".

The scheme is being implemented in identified districts by a committee headed by district collector. The allocated funds (annual Rs 30 crore per district) are placed at the disposal of the Committee — comprising superintendent of police (SP) and district forest officer — that identifies and implements the basic development and infrastructure projects.

Senior officials of the states who attended the meeting, chaired by Union home secretary R K Singh, also unanimously favoured the continuation of the scheme for the entire next five-year plan period.

Ramesh had recently written to the deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, suggesting greater political participation in implementing the schemes so that it could give local people a sense of involvement in development projects.

Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, however, preferred status quo and written to finance minister and Prime Minister highlighting merits of continuing the IAP scheme under its current format.

The aim of the IAP is to provide public infrastructure and services in 82 Maoist-affected districts The nature of major works/projects taken up by the districts under it include construction of school buildings, school furniture, Anganwadi centres, drinking water facilities, rural roads, community halls, PDS shops, skill development/trainings, minor irrigation works, electric lighting, health centres, construction of toilets, special coaching classes for students and development of play grounds.

"Out of 81,180 projects taken up by the states under the scheme, 61,677 projects have been completed till August 21", said the ministry in its report shared with the officials during the meeting. Representative of Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh attended the meeting.

Constitution of a Special Investigation Team to probe violence perpetrated by Maoists, monitoring of trials of important cases, implementation of development programmes on the lines of Jharkhand's Saranda and implementation of Forest Right Act also came up for discussion in the meeting.

"States have also been asked to reconstitute the Unified Command structure with the chief minister as its head and hold its meeting at least once a month. The meeting also had a discussion on the draft policy for tackling any crisis arising out of Maoists using civilians as human shield and hostage situation," said the official.