CCEA approves integrated action plan for tribal, backward districts

NEW DELHI - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday approved the commencement of an Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for Selected Tribal and Backward Districts to cover identified 60 districts as an Additional Central Assistance (ACA) scheme on 100% grant basis.

Briefing media on the decision, Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram said this was in pursuance of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s announcement in his Budget Speech of 2010-11 and the Prime Minister’s address to the National Development Council on July 24, 2010.

The scheme will, to begin with, be implemented over two years i.e. 2010-11 to 2011-12 with the following Components:

(1) In the current year (2010-11), a block-grant of ‘ 25 crore will be made available to each of the 60 selected districts for which the schemes will be decided by a Committee headed by the District Collector with District SP and District Forest Officer as members. During the year 2011-12, the block grant will be raised to ‘ 30 crore per district. The scheme will be reviewed for implementation in the 12th Plan at a later stage.

(2) The existing KBK plan under BRGF will continue as before with annual allocation of ‘ 130 crore for all eight districts put together. The eight KBK districts have also been included under the IAP and will get additional block grant of ‘ 25 crore per district in the current year and suitable additional amount under both State and District Components of IAP in the subsequent years.

(3) The scheme will focus on improvements in governance and specific preconditions will need to be complied with by the States before availing of the second tranche of the proposed additional financial assistance in 2011-12 under the State Component of the IAP. However, these conditionalities will not apply to the District Components of IAP.

(4) The scheme will focus on effective implementation of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (Forest Rights Act).

(5) A mechanism for procurement and marketing of MFPs, including issues of manpower requirement, capacity building and development of value chain specific to MFPs would be worked out by the Planning Commission, in consultation with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The administrative mechanism for enforcement of the minimum support price for MFP in accordance with the mechanism so work out will be the responsibility of the State Government concerned.

(6) The District Component will be administered by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the State Component by the Planning Commission. (ANI)