Integrated Rural Development Programme

Integrated Rural Development Programme  

           

            The CDP was launched in 1952 which could not bring expected changes in improving the conditions of rural masses or there was not much achievement in the area of agricultural development. The apparent failure of the CDP was the main reason for the evolution of the IRDP.

            The food situation became alarming, particularly due to successive famines during 1964-67 and this happened despite intensive efforts in selected areas. In order to overcome this crisis, the GOI launched a new agricultural strategy known as High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP) in 1966. The achievement was the single goal of increasing agricultural production.

            This unusual shift in the rural development strategy in favour of increasing agricultural production led to the accentuation of regional disparities on one hand and economic inequalities among different sections of the population on the other. Various reports revealed that the gains of intensive development efforts, including institutional credit flew more towards large and resourceful farmers to the neglect of small farmers, landless labourers, tenants and artisans.

            On realisation of the above, there was a shift in the rural development strategy. The main purpose of such a change in the approach was to make deliberate efforts to flow development benefits to the poorer sections and the backward areas. Accordingly, Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA); Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Labourers (MFALA) Deve­lopment Agency; Minimum Needs Programme (MNP); Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP); Desert Development Programme (DDP); Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) etc., were implemented.

            The beneficiary-oriented programmes as well as area development programmes, despite some successes could not make much dent into the problem of poverty and unemployment. Considering the magnitude and dimensions of rural poverty, the rural development strategy, therefore ,took a major turn in its emphasis, content, coverage and methodology. This resulted in launching of the programme "Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP ) in 1978-79, covering 2,300 development blocks and extended to all the 5011 blocks in 2nd October, 1980,

            IRDP envisages the integration of methodology and approach of both beneficiary oriented programmes as well as area development programmes. This was done to intensify development efforts for the purpose of poverty alleviation as well as increasing productivity.

            Definition: IRDP is the development and utilization of local resources by bringing about necessary institutional, structural and attitudinal changes and by creating infrastructural facilities for economic and social development with integration in an area of functions and programmes.

Objectives of IRDP

The main objectives are creating assets, employment, increased income, removal of poverty and minimising inequality. The guide lines given to achieve the objectives were:

1. To provide gainful employment and increase the purchasing power of rural poor.
2. The job opportunities must be provided through the application of   science and technology in making optimum use of existing local  resources.
3. The programme must be simple enough to operate and be economically viable to ensure quick self-reliance of its beneficiaries.

            For achieving its objective of rural poverty alleviation, IRDP aimed at the provision of assets to the identified poor in the form of Government subsidy and bank credit on reasonable rate of interest.

            IRDP is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by DRDA of the states. The scheme is funded on 50:50 basis by the centre and the states.

            For implementing the programme, DRDA was set up at district level. The DRDA is guided and directed and supported by a governing council headed by the Project Officer of DRDA. The District Collector, Heads of District Offices, legislators, Panchayat Union Chairman and some other non-officials form the members.

The Agency implemented two types of programmes:

1. Poverty Alleviation Programme.

The Poverty Alleviation Programme aimed at giving the poor family an income generating asset.The programmes were;

• Training Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM), and  
• Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)

2. Employment generation programme.

The employment generation programme provided direct income to the poor through wage employment

• National Rural Employment Programme (NREP)
• Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP)

SELF EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES

Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment ( TRYSEM - 1979 )

            With a view to provide technical skills to rural youth  and to equip them to take up self-employment in the fields of agriculture and allied activities, industries, services and trade the scheme TRYSEM was launched by GOI in August 15, 1979. 

It's main features were:

1. To provide need-based technical skills to rural youth aged 18-35 years who belong to the category of the poor, to enable them to
    take up self-employment and to some extent even wage employment.
2. Training is provided at the regular training institutions like polytechnics or under selected master craftsman.
3. Marketing facilities for the products made by beneficiaries are improved. 
4. The trainees are given stipend and tool kits during the period of training and are eligible after training for assistance under IRDP to start a viable economic activity suited to the learned skills.

            The major trades under TRYSEM are tailoring, printing and binding, basket making, radio repair, electrical works, pump repair, carpentry, blacksmith, production of mushroom, honey processing, cultivation of medicinal herbs and plants, poultry farming, fruit plants nursery, processing of fruits and vegetables, sericulture, installation of biogas plants etc.

Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA - 1982)

            The need for introducing specific programmes for the development of poor women was felt. Many programmes were launched for them. One such programme formulated and launched since September 1982 is DWCRA.

            It aims at motivating and assisting women to engage themselves in a productive activity for earning a substantial income as well as to improve the quality of their own and children's life. Thus, though the economic activity is the priority, the social betterment of the women and their children is also aimed at. It is partly supported by UNICEF and is jointly financed by Union and State Governments.

            The list of income-generating activities undertaken under the scheme are: tailoring, embroidery, ready-made garments, pickle making, papad making, bakery, candle making, soap making, chalk making, envelop making, match box making, knitting, weaving, basket making, agarbathi making, poultry, dairy, piggary, goat rearing, bee keeping, mushroom production, fruit and vegetables processing, etc.

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY – 1 April, 1999) 

            Based on the recommendation of Hashim Committee, the Ministry of Rural Development restructured all the Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation programmes such as IRDP, Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM), Development of  Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural Artisans (SITRA), Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY), Million Wells Scheme (MWS) with a view to improving the efficacy of programmes. All these Schemes were merged into a single self employment programme known as Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY).

           

            The SGSY aims at providing self-employment to villagers through the establishment of Self-help groups. Activity clusters are established based on the aptitude and skill of the people which are nurtured to their maximum potential. The objective of the restructuring is to provide a sustainable income generation through micro-enterprise development, both land-based and otherwise.  In doing so, effective linkages have been established between the various components such as capacity building of the poor, credit, technology, marketing and infrastructure. Funds are provided by NGOs, banks and financial institutions..  

WAGE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES

            The National Rural Employment programme (NREP) was launched in October, 1980 and became a regular Plan programme from April, 1981 and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) was introduced on August 15, 1983, The objectives of these programmes were:

1. Improving and expanding employment opportunities for the rural landless with a view to providing guarantee of employment to at least one member of every landless household up to 100 days in a year and
2. Creating durable assets for strengthening the infrastructure so as to meet the growing requirements of the rural economy.

             NREP and RLEGP were merged on April, 1, 1989 to form the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) with cost sharing basis of  80:20 between the centre and the States.    It was stated to be a nationwide programme implemented through village panchayats, basically aimed at providing supplementary gainful employment to atleast one member of rural poor families who seek unskilled employment for a minimum period of 50 to 100 days in a year.

            On the basis of the report of the Prof. S. R. Hashim Committee and discussion with the State Governments, it was decided to restructure and streamline Jawahar Rozgar Yojana. It was felt that the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana should be implemented only at the village level to create village infrastructure. Since the program is to be implemented only at the village level, it has been decided to rename the JRY as Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) and was launched w.e.f. April, 1999.

Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS)

            The scheme was launched on 2nd October, 1993 in 1775 identified backward blocks situated in drought prone, desert, tribal and hilly areas. The main objective of the EAS is to provide about 100 days of assured casual manual employment during the lean agricultural season, at statutory minimum wages to all persons above the age of 18 years and below 60 years who need and seek employment on economically productive and labour intensive social and community works.

            The Ministry of Rural Development, merged the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) (the only additional wage employment Scheme for rural areas), and the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) (a rural infrastructure development Scheme) into  one Scheme, and launched the new Scheme as Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana(SGRY) w.e.f 25th  September, 2001.

            The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, (NREGA) was enacted by legislation on August 25, 2005 to provide  for the enhancement of livelihood  security of the households in rural  areas of the  country  by providing  at least one hundred  days of guaranteed wage employment  in every financial  year to  every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Through this act the 100 days of work in rural areas become a legal right.

            NREGA was renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on 2 October 2009 and is implemented throughout the country in the name of 100 Days employment programme in common parlance.

Provisions under NREGA

1. Adult members of a rural household, willing to do unskilled manual work, are required to make registration in writing or orally to the local Gram Panchayat. The Gram Panchayat after due verification will issue a Job Card. The Job Card will bear the photograph of all adult members of the household willing to work under NREGA and is free of cost. The Job Card should be issued within 15 days of application.
2. A Job Card holder may submit a written application for employment to the Gram Panchayat, stating the time and duration for which work is sought.  Employment will be given within 15 days of application for work, if it is not then daily unemployment allowance will be provided.
3. Work should ordinarily be provided within 5 km radius of the village. In case work is provided beyond 5 km, extra wages of 10% are payable to meet additional transportation and living expenses. NREGA's minimum wage has been changed to 130 per day.
4. Wages are to be paid according to piece rate or daily rate. Disbursement of wages has to be done on weekly basis and not beyond a fortnight in any case.
5. At least one-third beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested work under the scheme.
6. Work site facilities such as crèche, drinking water, shade have to be provided
7. The project for a village will be recommended by the gram sabha and approved by the zilla panchayat. At least 50% of works will be allotted to Gram Panchayats for execution
8. Permissible works predominantly include water and soil conservation, afforestation and land development works
9. No contractors and machinery is allowed
10. The Central Govt. bears the 100 percent wage cost of unskilled manual labour. Social Audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha