pnrdassam.nic.in RGPSA Scheme Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan

Organisation : Panchayat and Rural Development
Scheme Name : Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA)
State : Assam

Web Site : http://pnrdassam.nic.in/panchayatschemes.html#12BTerms & Conditions : https://www.statusin.in/uploads/22983-RGPSANEW.pdf

RGPSA

Objectives :
The Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan will strengthen the Panchayati Raj system across the country and address critical gaps that constrain its sucess.

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RGPSA seeks to :
** Enhance capacities and effectiveness of Panchayats and the Gram Sabhas;
** Enable democratic decision-making and accountability in Panchayats and promote people’s participation;

** Strengthen the institutional structure for knowledge creation and capacity building of Panchayats;
** Promote devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats according to the spirit of the Constitution and PESA Act;

** Strengthen Gram Sabhas to function effectively as the basic forum of people’s participation, transparency and accountability within the Panchayat system;

** Create and strengthen democratic local self-government in areas where Panchayats do not exist;
** Strengthen the constitutionally mandated framework on which Panchayats are founded.

Coverage :
RGPSA will extend to all States and Union Territories of the country. For the purpose of these guidelines, wherever ‘State’ is mentioned, it will include Union Territory also, and whenever ‘Panchayats’ are mentioned, these will include elected local governments in areas where Panchayats do not exist in the North East.

Scheme Modalities :
1. Strategic Planning as per State Needs :
1.1 As the status of Panchayats varies across States, States need to undertake different activities to strengthen their Panchayati Raj systems with reference to their specific requirements and context.

RGPSA will allow a range of activities to be undertaken by States as per State needs, so that each State can bring about needed changes to strengthen its Panchayati Raj system.

1.2 States that have strong Panchayati Raj systems, will seek to enhance their capacities, promote innovations, improve the supporting institutional structure and draw up manuals of processes and procedures to enable Elected Representatives and staff to undertaken their designated roles and responsibilities.

States where Panchayats are not well developed, may focus on creating the required physical infrastructure and building the administrative and technical capacities of Panchayats first.

1.3 To access funds, States will need to prepare perspective plans for five years, i.e. the Twelfth Plan period, and annual plans for strengthening Panchayats, detailing out the activities and deliverables, from among the permitted components in the scheme.

1.4 State Election Commissions (SECs) and State Finance Commission (SFCs) may also submit plans to MoPR which will be considered in consultation with the State Governments.

2 Performance Linked Fund Allocation :
RGPSA will provide performance linked funds from 2014-15 onwards. Twenty percent scheme funds will be tied to State performance on identified deliverables in the State Plan.

Activities To Be Included In State Plans :
States are expected to prepare plans under the scheme to undertake activities as per their requirement/priorities, from a menu of activities permitted in the scheme. Each State is not expected to necessarily undertake all the activities.

Activities that can be included in State plans under RGPSA are as follows :
1.1.1 Administrative and Technical Support :
** Each State is expected to visualize the administrative and technical support needed at each tier of Panchayats and ensure that the Panchayats have appropriate staff or other administrative and technical support to discharge their functions.

** Funds will be provided for administrative and technical support at the Gram Panchayat (GP) as per the States visualization. For the block and district level Panchayats, States will be expected to devolve appropriate functionaries to the Panchayats.

** Expenses of existing technical and administrative support mechanism in Panchayats cannot be transferred to RGPSA.

1.2 GP Buildings :
In general, States will be expected to obtain funds for GP buildings from various sources, especially through schemes of the Ministry of Rural Development.

However, where funds cannot be accessed from other schemes, RGPSA will fund new GP buildings, repair of existing buildings, construction of barrier free access, construction of toilets (including separate toilets for women) and electricity and water supply connections.

While the maximum amount to be provided under RGPSA would be as indicated in Annex 3, States may add their own funds or funds from other schemes for better or larger buildings as needed.States will be expected to focus on low cost and eco-friendly designs for such buildings.

1.3 Capacity Building and Training of Elected Representatives & Functionaries :
The aim will be to ensure that all Elected Representatives (ERs) as well as functionaries of Panchayats have appropriate knowledge and skills to discharge their functions.

Capacity Building and Training (CB&T) activities will be funded as per the National Capability Building Framework (NCBF).

It is envisaged that on an average, each ER and Panchayat functionary would be trained for five days per year, through various modes such as face to face training, exposure visits, handholding support, help desks etc.

CB&T programmes may be conducted through government institutions, NGOs and Resource Persons.

1.4 Institutional Structure for Training at State, District & Block level :
CB&T of ERs and Panchayat functionaries is a wide area, as it is necessary to address basic concepts, skills of ERs and Panchayat functionaries, including literacy, as well as domain knowledge of subjects handled by Panchayats, such as drinking water, rural development, education, health, women’s issues, social forestry, livelihoods etc.

To address all these issues, a sound institutional structure and partnership with resource institutions are required. Under RGPSA, State Panchayat Resource Centres (SPRCs) may be established at State Institutes of Rural Development (SIRDs) or any other State level institution, District Panchayat Resource Centres (DPRCs) may be strengthened in existing institutions or new centers established, and block level satellite resource centers may be established at the Block Panchayat.

1.5 e-enablement of Panchayats :
The Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) will form the bedrock of e-enablement of Panchayats to increase their effectiveness for governance and service delivery. States would be expected to make all efforts to ensure appropriate CB&T for e-enablement of Panchayats.

1.6 Support to Panchayat Processes and Procedures in Panchayats with Inadequate Revenue Base :
Many Panchayats, especially those in Schedule V areas, lack resources for such basic activities such as Gram Sabha meetings, planning, social audit, public campaigns, forming federations etc. which hampers their functioning. These Panchayats will to be supported to carry out their basic processes/procedures.

1.7 Special Support for Gram Sabhas in PESA and NE Areas :
Special activities may be undertaken to strengthen Gram Sabhas in PESA areas and in NE areas where part IX does not apply, in terms of organizing themselves and also knowledge and assertion of their rights.

1.8 Programme Management :
The present strength and capacity of State Panchayati Raj departments needs to be enhanced to enable them to undertake the task of preparing State plans and implementing. RGPSA for the development of Panchayats in the State.

To support the Panchayati Raj departments of the States, Programme Managements Units at the State and District level may be set up for planning, implementation and monitoring of the scheme from within the 5% available in management costs.