For the study, information is gathered mainly from
- only beneficiaries, numbering sixty-eight (5-6 in each village) who have been interviewed;
- key-informants (including 50% of ex- and present beneficiaries (other than in a) and village functionaries), numbering forty, (3-4 in each village) whose in-depth case studies have been developed;
- opinion-leaders (beneficiaries, other than in (a) and (b), numbering 24, (1-2 in each village) who have been interviewed informally; and
- participants (beneficiaries, other than in (a), (b) and (c) of 10 group discussions (5-6 in each group) numbering 60. Thus, the overall sample comprises 192 respondents.
Official data have been collected from Census Reports, District Statistical Handbook and Block records. This apart, primary data have been collected through interviews, case studies, observations, first hand information and group discussions. Data generated by sixty-eight interviews have been coded and computer analyzed. Through the use of computer software SPSS, frequency and cross tables have been prepared. The case-study material was originally in Hindi (Annexure 2) and 1-100 pages long. For presentation purposes, it has been compressed and rendered into English (Annxure-3).
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District and Block Profiles:
In the district, there are ten Janapad Panchayats, 572 Gram Panchayats, and 1554 villages. In keeping with the state trend, it has 53% males and 47% females. A large segment of population (17.36%) is tribal. The district has 1252 primary and 252 middle schools, 12 colleges and 5 professional colleges. Yet its literacy rate is low — only 30% among women and 53% among men. Among scheduled tribes it’s even worse — 16% for males and 2.92% for females. The economy is based on agriculture, labour and minor forest produce (mahua, achar, tendu and gulli).
Around 68 central schemes are there from different ministries and various departments for rural areas at national level. 14 district panchayat schemes, at present, are operational in rural areas of Hoshangabad. Have these14 schemes percolated to the village level and impacted with life of an average villager? Let us take a closer look on some of the main schemes operational:
- Balika Samridhi Yojana (BSY)
- Indira Awas Yojana (IAY)
- Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)
- Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY)
- Jeewan Dhara (JD)
- Matratva Sahayata Yojana (MSY)
- Moolbhoot Adho Sarchna (MAS)
- Rajiv Gandhi Jal Mission (RGJM)
- Rashtriya Bridhawastha Pension (RBP)
- Rashtriya Parivar Sahayata Yojana (RPSY)
- Swaran Jayanti Swarojgar Yojana (SJSY)
In the context of rural development, simpler and smaller schemes are likely to be more effective than the complicated ones, involving too many departments. The study brings out that the schemes like IAY, RBP, MSY and RPSY, compared with IRDP, JGSY and SJSY, are better understood (both by development functionaries and target groups), evoke ready and wide participation and relatively easy to implement.
Policy and programme planning should be need-based, aligned with local resources and arise from below, from villages themselves. A ‘top down’ approach in rural development planning, even if done by highly technically qualified persons (like IRDP), could be a failure. Similarly, clubbing of several unsuccessful schemes and re-appropriating funds for some umbrella kind of programme appears to be imprudent. The example may be cited of SJSY (an amalgam of schemes like IRDP, JD and TRYSEM); even after a year of its introduction, it is not understood even by janapad functionaries. Similar is the case with JGSY, a streamlined version of JRY, which is neither known nor its purpose understood by people at the ground level.
Inter-departmental coordination, rather a lack of it, has been the biggest hurdle in programme implementation. Both vertical and horizontal, it involves state, district, block and village levels. To a certain extent, in-built autonomy is essential at every level, since transfer of instructions dilutes the effectiveness of implementation process. The growing concept of district governance could now be utilized with maximum effect. Similarly, proper coordination between concerned departments paving the way decision-making on targets, deadlines and release of grants would avoid delays and indifferent performance.
Education, awareness and sensitization of people at the district level and below needs to be a regular and ongoing activity. Towards this, the potential of print and electronic media needs to be exploited. Communication material should be such that the perspective of scheme remains intact and makes sense to the targeted.
The agency handling rural development projects needs to have a self-contained, self sufficient, compact and well-knit team of professionals. This could have people from government and non-government organisations. Every scheme does not have to pass through the huge government system. The ready example is of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation: Its separate specialized groups are handing their Jal Mission, Credit Scheme and Primary Education programmes in Madhya Pradesh, funded by government but autonomous in working.
Sensitization of Panchayati Raj institution members, Sarpanch and village secretaries is an absolute imperative. Following Seventy-third Amendment, Gram, Janapad and Zila Panchayats have been entrusted with lots of power and autonomy. Functionaries at these levels, not only need to know the goal and purpose of schemes, likely participants, time-frame and fund-utilization, but also feel about it and own it too.
Community development resource mobilization, collective action and participation of all religious, caste, sex and age groups would enable development schemes (RGJM, for example) to deliver goods and pave the way for consistent and sustainable change.
Training organizations for such sensitization programmes as referred to above should be, as far as possible, Voluntary Organizations or NGOs rather than government-aided training institute, which may have theoretical or mechanical approach. Most of the existing training (government) institutes is too structured to have space for innovations and creativity in the training process.
For change agents, regular experience sharing may be made mandatory. It could be participatory between members of Panchayati Raj institutions, NGOs, Block officials and a large number of ‘participants’ from beneficiary and target groups. This would enhance transparency in the system and the ability of functionaries to handle developmental programmes competently and effectively.
Most of the development schemes in their implementation leave much to be desired. It is urgent and crucial to make them worthwhile particularly in ‘backward’ states of the country. Much time, energy and funds could be conserved by making necessary alterations (realized step by step during the study), mentioned below:
Visits by investigators conducting studies / surveys in villages make the situation of villagers more so ridiculous as no substantive change in their situation occurs in the aftermath. Their needs, which are urgent from their perspective, remain unfulfilled year after year. Irony of the situation is that eagerness to get help is intense, but trust on implementers is just not there (Box 21*). Corrective measures as concrete actions to step up impact of development schemes need be adopted on a priority basis.
A greater sensitivity on the part of implementers at all levels, in terms of understanding of the urgency of situations from villagers’ perspective and development work not being routine work, seems essential. Rather, a perceptive approach with more concern and commitment is required.
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Development Schemes, their distribution and impact
Various schemes at all levels (national, state, district and village) need a thorough reevaluation in terms of there worth. Large amount of time, effort and funds, by government and people, are involved in implementing them, often with indifferent results. In this regard, schemes like SJSY, JGSY need to be critically reviewed.
Out of 14 development schemes being implemented in the district, not more than 6 schemes are known, whether it is a village functionary or beneficiary. It follows that more effective publicity of different development schemes needs to be done than what is at present. Towards this
- communication and publicity costs should be built into the project design of rural development schemes, and
- there should be greater involvement of NGOs or Voluntary Organizations in awareness and sensitization programmes.
People’s participation in the development process is found to be generally low. Even a better known and in demand scheme like IAY has been availed of only by 42 per cent of respondents (Table 5.3). This kind of target ceiling needs to be increased in accordance to their relative demand in particular areas. Similar is the case with RBP, RPSY and MSY. To overcome the limitation of financial resources funds from schemes of doubtful utility and performance (that is unsuccessful ones) like IRDP and JD could be diverted to the schemes more in demand (like IAY and RBP).
Middle age group shows little interest in development schemes. A very poor participation by 30% of women was seen overall (Table 6.2) from all the age groups (Table 6.3), and caste categories (Table 6.4). This indicates the need for special efforts so that the women come forward to participate in development schemes.
More women need to be involved through awareness and sensitization programmes in schemes relating to land and other natural resources in the village. This is likely to produce manifold effective and sustainable outcome. On the other hand, none of the women knew about JD, the third relatively better known scheme among all the schemes studied (Table 5.2).
Amongst Hindus scheduled tribes seemed most interested (40%) in the matters related to schemes, followed by scheduled castes (37%), OBC (16%) and general (7%) categories (table 6.7). Hence, enthusiasm to get the benefit is enough in scheduled tribe population, need is for better awareness to help them have right perspective of schemes and actual accessibility to schemes. Keeping comparative very low rate of literacy amongst scheduled tribes in view (see step 6), area of emphasis seems to be improvement in education level of ST population too. Similar was the situation with Muslims, the other minority group people (Table 6.5).
Development schemes with collective action are better known among people and are more successful as compared with those schemes that address specified groups (SC or ST only). The RGJM is very well known and accepted by all, regardless of their religion, caste, age or sex and hence, is relatively more successful (case studies 8 and 9).
Similarly, if scheme fulfils felt-need of the villagers, it is accepted well e.g. IAY, RBP, and RPSY. In JD distribution pattern has shown that it was known wherever it was needed. Similarly, RGJM is successful as it meets a felt-need. In contrast, peoples’ perspective for SJSY, JGSY as felt-need is unclear or doubtful.
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Factors affecting Implementation
People have a feeling that the latest BPL census criteria are not set carefully, and need to be corrected soon (Case Study- 3, 6, 11, 16, and 38). Strategies adopted at higher level have important implications for schemes at the ground level.
Corruption at all levels, namely, district, block (Case Study 5, 19, 22, 27, 28, 29, 35) and village (Case Study 14, 19, 28, 31, 32) needs to be curbed for making schemes truly successful (Case Study 30, 36).
Gram Panchayats should have more financial and administrative authority to take decisions (Case Study 9, 26). Even after greater delegation of power to Panchayati Raj institutions, Gram Panchayats still depend on block or Janapad for 1) final approval of beneficiary selection and 2) guidelines for spending money. A clear-cut division of powers between Gram Panchayat and Janapad Panchayat is called for.
Concerning the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions, we have divided opinion: Some people feel that Panchayat elections are not altogether free from lacunae (Case Studies, 32, 36)); and yet others think that the system is ineffective (Case Studies 16, 27, 28). In contrast, there is a group of people who believes that, despite shortcomings, Panchayati Raj is better than the previous system — as it is less corrupt and more transparent, with functionaries more approachable (Case Studies 22, and 26).
Even if money disbursement is now Gram Panchayat’s responsibility, Panchayat Secretaries at the village level, act as middlemen, manipulate beneficiaries, and take the money (as bribe) back for block officials (Case Studies, 16, 20, and 29). In a few cases, even Sarpanch is equally corrupt. However, if we have educated, strong and honest Sarpanch who help fellow villagers, problem can be solved.
Effective Sarpanch and efficient secretary have a positive role in making: 1) development schemes work and 2) the environment in villages conducive for development. A programme for making Sarpanch and members of Panchayat educated, informed, active and dedicated would be highly rewarding (Case Study 25, 26).
Since the launch of Panchayati Raj in Madhya Pradesh, in 1994, district officials (Case Study 13) have a feeling that their powers have been clipped. Their attitude tends to be hostile towards Panchayati Raj institutions (PRI). To counter this, orientation and sensitization of officials towards the role and relevance of P.R.I. is urgently required.
Lack of right perspectives on the schemes leads to attitudinal aberrations amongst beneficiaries,. They either do not utilize the facility in the right manner so that it benefits them (as has been happening in case of IRDP, RPSY, and RMSY) or start offering bribe to concerned officials. This eventually leads to qualitative failure of the scheme, as objectives of schemes are seldom fulfilled.
In all the schemes, there are points, which are sort of bottlenecks. For instance, BPL census and the selection of beneficiaries is done at Gram Panchayat level [Tables 6.1 to 6.7), yet block has the final authority. This adversely affects the quality of implementation of development programmes. Delay in the release of grants, clash of personal or sectarian interests and lack of right perspectives are other important bottlenecks. A check on vested interests acting at these points could be of help in making development schemes do what these are expected to do.
The task of socio-economic reconstruction and nation building will remain well nigh incomplete without augmenting resources in villages and with substantially improving the quality of life of village people. It is a challenging task but it is also an experiential task. We learn from mistakes and innovate through pitfall. This is what the present report hopes to accomplish.
