NEW DELHI: The Modi administration has begun a review of the impact of its social welfare programmes that it launched after coming to power in 2014. The review will set the tone for the government’s policies from early next year as it gets into election mode.
Government departments have been told to analyse the programmes that have financial outlays of Rs 100 crore or more on three parameters—output, outcome and indicators, according to documents accessed by The Sunday Standard.
The study will be later sent to the finance ministry. “The projects that cost less than Rs 100 crore will also be analysed on the basis of outputs, outcomes and their indicators. This will cover all the centrally-sponsored schemes. A nodal officer has to be appointed in each ministry and department to generate inputs on the ground impact of the schemes,” according to one document.
Getting Battle-Ready
The initial assessment of key schemes shows that ‘Start-up India’ that was launched in January 2016 to foster entrepreneurship and to generate large-scale employment with a total budget of Rs 10,000 crore has recorded progress. More than 450 start-ups get financial support nearly 4500 start-ups have been recognized by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
The early assessment of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) shows inflow has increased since 2014. Around 91% foreign investment in 2015-16 came through automatic route.
Another scheme, the Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojna, linked to rural electorates is picking up pace. The scheme launched in July 2015 was allocated Rs 4,814 crore in this year’s budget. The assessment shows nearly 15,000 out of 18,542 un-electrified villages have been covered by the government agencies.
The government last year had approved Rs 135 crore for disbursement among new entrepreneurs from scheduled castes.
The Pradhanmantri Kaushal Vikas (skill development) Yojna launched in July 2015 has not been able to generate jobs but it has focused so far on teaching skills. The government has decided to take measures to rejuvenate the Rs 3000 crore scheme.The initial report suggests 20 lakh youth were trained under the project till December 2016. New targets may be announced by March 2018.
In the health sector, the NDA government had launched ‘Mission Indradhanush’ in December 2014. The aim was to achieve full immunisation of at least 90 per cent children by 2020. More than two crore children have been immunised since its launch and more than 490 districts across the 35 states and UTs have been covered. The AMRIT programme to distribute medicines to cancer patients among the poor has been tardy. So far, the government has been able to open only 83 stores with a total sale value of approximately Rs 72 crore.
However, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to set up new institutes like AIIMS and modernise government medical colleges has seen much activity. The capital expenditure under this project has increased to over Rs 1200 crore.
Turning its attention to schemes aimed at the rural poor, the government is reviewing ‘Rashtriya Gokul Mission’ that was launched in December 2014 to develop indigenous bovine breeds with a cost of Rs 500 crore. A senior government official said they are in the process of establishing over a dozen Gokul Grams. There is also emphasis on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana due to recurring natural calamities. The aim is to reach out to the farmers across 30 states.
“There is also plan to increase crop insurance coverage from 20 per cent to 50 per cent that may reflect in the next year’s budget. The government is already in the process of finalising a proposal to increase the allocation to Rs 9,000 crore. We will also fast track clearance of pending coal projects at both state and central level,” the official further added.