The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana has been a mixed bag so far, says Swaniti Initiative

Utkarsha Bhardwaj, Lead, MP Engagements, Swaniti Initiative, tells Sarika Malhotra that the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) is a good initiative but has a long way to go.

BT: How has the SAGY scheme so far fared so far?

Bhardwaj: SAGY was launched on October 11, 2014 and envisages the development of 6,320 'adarsh grams' or 'model villages' by 2024. Under this programme, MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will identify a gram panchayat (GP) in their constituency and develop it as an adarsh gram by ensuring the convergence of the available Central and state schemes. In the first five years i.e. 2014-2019, MPs will adopt a GP in three phases (2014-16, 2016-18 and 2017-19). Under Phase-I of the programme, 699 MPs have identified the GP they wish to develop as an Adarsh Gram. 56 per cent of the MPs who haven't identified any GP under SAGY belong to the state of West Bengal where 54 of the 58 sitting MPs have not expressed their interest in identifying a GP.

However, as per information obtained from the SAGY website, only 50 MPs across both the Houses of Parliament have identified the GP under Phase II of SAGY. According to a letter written by the Minister of Rural Development, Chaudhary Birender Singh, to all MPs, the deadline for sending the name of the next GP to the district collector was 31st January, after which it is the responsibility of the DC to upload the name of the GP on the website.

In terms of the actual implementation or development witnessed on the ground, the programme has been a mixed bag so far. As one can see from the fast tracked development in Chikhli in Navsari constituency (Gujarat) or the green development initiative (100 per cent solar powered villages) promoted in the two villages of Toorputallu and PMLanka (Pedamainavanilanka) in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, SAGY offers the potential to transform villages into islands of excellence. The success is dependent on proper and comprehensive planning, community participation in the development process, consistent monitoring of the different interventions and impact assessment vis--vis the baseline situation.

BT: What are the biggest drawbacks of implementing the scheme on the ground?

Bhardwaj: The biggest drawback stems from the fact that it has been difficult for MPs to monitor the on-ground development on a regular basis, in the absence of a platform where they can oversee the progress on different interventions, specified in the VDP as well as irregular meetings of the district level committee. As we analyse the programme, we have also observed that in most places where the SAGY is being implemented successfully, there is a strong team or set of people working on the ground on behalf of the MP to ensure that the planned interventions are completed on time and to provide constant feedback to the MP. Also, in most cases, the village development plan has not been prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the programme. The VDP, which is the single most important document in the entire development process, fails to encapsulate the key requirements of the GP and the need for subsequent action to address the issues.

While the SAGY talks about convergence and effective utilisation of available Central and state schemes, most MPs raise the point that it is extremely difficult to know about the provisions under each scheme and the structure and framework for its implementation on the ground. In that regard, recent efforts by the SAGY Directorate to compile all available schemes into a single booklet for use by MPs is indeed welcome and will address this point to a large extent. This would help MPs use their good office to direct the district administration to undertake interventions under hitherto unutilised schemes. For instance, the MP from Nandurbar has recently requested the Minister of Women and Child Development for the sanctioning of model and modern Anganwadi centres under the Nand Ghar Yojana in her adopted GP.

BT: How do MPs choose the villages they have to adopt?

Bhardwaj: In most cases, the villages have been selected by individual MPs based on representation by the villagers and local party workers who have presented the case for the development of different villages as an adarsh gram. Based on these representations and seeking input from the district administration, MPs have gone about the process of selecting the GP. However, in urban areas, even the selection of villages is a complicated process since most villages identified by MPs don't meet the SAGY guidelines. In fact, four MPs from Delhi were requested to change the GP adopted by them by the Ministry of Rural Development. In certain cases, MPs have organised a competition across their constituency to select the GP under the SAGY programme. The most notable example of the same happened in Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency where more than 100 GPs participated in an inter-GP competition and formed teams to prepare a VDP, which was then evaluated by a three-member independent panel. The top three in the competition have been identified for development as adarsh grams and will get the benefit of 10 Central sector schemes. All the different block winners, 20 in number, would also avail the benefits of five CSS, thereby promoting development of rural areas across the constituency.

BT: How are problems identified by MPs?

Bhardwaj: Most MPs are dependent on the development plan prepared by the district administration. Often, senior officials and the PM have spoken about the need to think out of the box in order to develop a village as an island of excellence and promote economic growth. However, the same has been missing in the approach adopted by most officials at the district level thus far as they have not focused on customised solutions or leveraged the local potential through convergence of different schemes. It is here that an MP can use his/her good office to ensure access to available schemes and expedite implementation of different activities to bring about development in the GP. For instance, if there is a historical ruin or place of tourist importance, the MP can focus on not just improving access to the destination using schemes such as PMGSY or CC roads but also enable the locals to procure e-rickshaws under MUDRA so as to provide livelihoods. Most MPs visit the identified GP on a quarterly basis to undertake an assessment of the on-ground situation and progress of different activities planned for the village. The idea is to provide direction to the development work and keep the district and block officials on their toes to ensure timely completion.

BT: How do you see the scheme faring in the future?

Bhardwaj: In the aftermath of the launch of this scheme, many states such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra have launched programmes for rural development on similar lines. The Smart Village-Smart Ward programme initiated by the Government of AP is an extremely innovative and unique model as it promotes active private and corporate participation in the development of villages from undertaking needs assessment to mobilising funds for development. In our opinion, SAGY presents an interesting opportunity to Parliamentarians to comprehensively focus on the 'what' to approach in development and 'how' to execute it. It is based on these observations and feedback from MPs and our learnings from the ground that Swaniti has launched the SAGY Development Programme (SDP). We are currently working with five MPs across the country to assess the on-ground situation, identify the development needs of the village, connect the needs to the relevant government schemes, and monitor the implementation process. Often, the biggest criticism hurled at SAGY is the lack of any specific fund allocation for the programme. However, with the improved understanding of the scheme among MPs and the implementation of the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, which has resulted in an increased outlay of funds to the local bodies, MPs can seek to ensure the optimum utilisation of existing schemes and resources to bring about development. The scheme offers a genuine opportunity to promote a participatory approach in planning and development at the local level. Moreover, in the near future, SAGY will also see active participation from the private, volunteer and corporate sectors, who are willing to provide technical and financial assistance through their expertise or CSR funds for the development of villages, provided the right proposal comes to their attention. In this regards, a CSR conclave or district level meeting between the district administration and the industries and other corporates in the region would be extremely beneficial.