GUIDELINES REGARDING TRANSFERRED SCHEMES
CAPTIONED NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME(NSAP)
AND
The Ministry of Rural Development has, inter alia, been administering the Annapurna
Scheme and the
National Social Assistance Programme(NSAP) consisting of the
National Old Age Pension Scheme(NOAPS) and the National Family Benefit
Scheme(NFBS). As a result of a recent
review of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes by the Planning Commission, in
consultation with the Ministry of Rural Development, it has been decided to
transfer the NSAP and the
2. The total ACA to be provided to the
States/UTs for the NSAP and Annapurna
Scheme would be decided by the Planning Commission; the Statewise
allocation of ACA would be made by the Ministry of Rural Development and
Planning Commission. The ACA provided to
the States/UTs under NSAP and
3. In order to ensure that a minimum level of expenditure is incurred on the Welfare Schemes, it has been decided that the Additional Central Assistance to the States must constitute a genuine additionality over and above the normal allocation of the State for such Welfare Schemes as reflected in the State’s budget, both under Plan and Non-Plan. The States/UTs must, therefore, provide a Mandatory Minimum Provision(MMP) for these Schemes under their own budget. This Mandatory Minimum Provision would be calculated as equivalent to the States’ Budget Provision or actual expenditure, whichever is higher, for these Schemes during the year 2000-01, and the ACA allocation for the year concerned. It is expected that the States/UTs would increase their own Budget provisions for the Welfare Schemes over and above the MMP, depending upon their resource position.
4. The details of budget allocation and expenditure incurred by the States/UTs during 2000-01 for providing old age pension, free foodgrains to the aged and family benefit will be compiled by the Ministry of Rural Development to have the benchmark figure of MMP.
5. The States/UTs shall intimate the distribution of the total MMP over various schemes adopted by them for the welfare of the BPL families to the Ministry of Rural Development within a month after the State’s allocation of ACA for the transferred Schemes is conveyed to the States/UTs. The Ministry of Rural Development will monitor the expenditure of the ACA and MMP during the year.
6. The releases of the Additional Central Assistance(ACA) to the States/UTs
will be made automatically by the Ministry of Finance in equal Instalments on a monthly basis until December of the
financial year. However, the release of
ACA for the last Quarter of the financial year i.e.for
the three months of January, February and March would depend upon the reporting
of satisfactory progress of implementation of the Schemes and utilization of funds by the States/UTs. At least 50%
of the ACA funds released must be utilised by the States and UTs by 31st December of the financial year so
that the ACA for the remaining three months of that financial year, i.e.
January, February and March could be released.
Before release of funds for the last Quarter, the State/UTs shall also furnish Utilisation Certificate for the
funds released during the previous financial year to the Ministry of Rural
Development. The utilisation position as
on this cut-off date must be reported by the States/UTs
by 15th January to the Ministry of Rural Development, who after
examination of these reports, will make suitable recommendation to the Ministry
of Finance regarding the release of ACA for the three months of the last
Quarter.
7. The ACA funds released under the Scheme must be passed on to the Implementing Agencies within a month after the release of funds by the Centre.
8. The
States/UTs will have the flexibility to implement the Schemes through
any State Government Department. They will, however, designate a Nodal
Secretary at the State Level to report the progress of implementation by co-ordinating with different departments concerned with the
implementation of the Schemes. The
progress of implementation of the Schemes is to be reported through Quarterly
Reports in a given monitoring format by 15th of the month of the following Quarter.
Non-reporting of the physical and financial progress reports will be
construed as lack of progress and, therefore, may result in the non-release of
ACA for the last Quarter of the financial year. Since the ACA allocations for the Schemes
lapse at the end of the financial year, these Instalments
cannot be released during the next financial year, even if a State Government
reports progress subsequent to the cut-off dates, fixed as above.
9. The
States may review, if necessary, the functioning of the existing Committees at
the State and District Levels to ensure better results and co-ordination. The
nomination of the representatives of the Ministry of Rural Development and the
Planning Commission in the State Level Committees may also be considered by the
States/UTs.
10. Panchayati Raj Institutions at Panchayat and District level may be involved in the
implementation of the Schemes. The Gram Panchayats/Municipalities will continue to play an active
role in the identification of the beneficiaries under the three Schemes. Apart
from the disbursal of benefits through the Accounts of the beneficiary in Banks
or in Post Office Savings Banks or through Postal Money Order, the assistance
under the Schemes may also be disbursed in public meetings such as Gram Sabha
Meetings in rural areas and by Neighbourhood/Mohalla
Committees in urban areas. The Panchayats and Municipalities may also be involved in
monitoring and in following up delays in sanctions and disbursement.