Pragmatic Euphony
Whither IAP?
A look at the progress in 60 districts covered under the Integrated Action Plan for Maoist areas.
Nearly five months after the Indian Government approved the Integrated Action Plan(IAP) for Maoist areas, it might be a good time to look at the performance of 60 districts covered by the scheme. To recapitulate, each of these 60 districts were allocated Rs 25 crore in the last financial year (ending March 2011) and were assured another Rs 30 crore in the current year. As these districts were unable to spend Rs 25 crore in the two months available to them in the last financial year, that money has been rolled over to this year. Meanwhile, another Rs 10 crore out of the Rs 30 crore for this year has been allocated to them, which means that each of the districts have Rs 35 crore at its disposal for undertaking developmental activities.
Data via here
This means that only 24.66% of the funds have been expanded so far under the IAP, with only 15.50% of the projects completed. Even this progress is extremely uneven among the group. District Jamui in Bihar is the worst performer having spent only 0.23% of the funds so far, whereas district Nuapada is at the top having expended 69.37% out of Rs 35 crore released to it.
The point being discussed is just the quantum of outlay being expended, and not the quality and utility of the outcomes being generated here. This only reaffirms what this blogger had observed when the IAP scheme was launched:
Nearly five months after the Indian Government approved the Integrated Action Plan(IAP) for Maoist areas, it might be a good time to look at the performance of 60 districts covered by the scheme. To recapitulate, each of these 60 districts were allocated Rs 25 crore in the last financial year (ending March 2011) and were assured another Rs 30 crore in the current year. As these districts were unable to spend Rs 25 crore in the two months available to them in the last financial year, that money has been rolled over to this year. Meanwhile, another Rs 10 crore out of the Rs 30 crore for this year has been allocated to them, which means that each of the districts have Rs 35 crore at its disposal for undertaking developmental activities.
Click on the picture for a larger image
This means that only 24.66% of the funds have been expanded so far under the IAP, with only 15.50% of the projects completed. Even this progress is extremely uneven among the group. District Jamui in Bihar is the worst performer having spent only 0.23% of the funds so far, whereas district Nuapada is at the top having expended 69.37% out of Rs 35 crore released to it.
The point being discussed is just the quantum of outlay being expended, and not the quality and utility of the outcomes being generated here. This only reaffirms what this blogger had observed when the IAP scheme was launched:
Of course, the government continues to labour under the misbegotten idea that throwing money at the problem will lead to a solution. The government continues to live in denial about the fact that it can not undertake development in the Maoist-affected districts without first ensuring security there. Even then, the problem is not of the availability of funds but of improvement in governance which is the key for capacity-building, without which the allocated money can not be utilised properly.[PE]Alas, who cares! Especially when you have a government guided solely by what Yes Minister‘s Sir Humphrey Appleby called “Politician’s logic: We must do something. This is something. Therefore we must do it.”
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