In contrast to last year, performance of non-UPA states slipped in the first four months of this year.
When it comes to implementing the Centre’s flagship programmes, UPA-ruled states have improved their performance in the first four months of this financial year.
While non-UPA-ruled states put up a better show last year, there has been a turnaround this year. According to an assessment of the 20-point programme developed by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, while the performance of non-UPA states was better last year, it saw a dip in the first four months of this year.
In contrast, UPA-ruled states, particularly Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Manipur and Assam, performed appreciably better in the first four months of this financial year.
However, Indira Awas Yojana, which involves construction of houses for the economically weaker sections, has seen uniformly bad performance by both the UPA and non UPA-ruled states — last year as well as this year. The programme has failed to achieve its target even in Delhi, the national capital.
While the government had set a target of constructing 1,33,320 dwellings for the poor in 2011-2012, only 52,476 houses had been constructed till July.
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Among the non-UPA ruled states, performance under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana has been poor in Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura. This was only somewhat better in UPA-ruled states in the initial part of this year. Here too, performance of Assam, Maharashtra and Kerala has been rated as ‘very good’.
In rural electrification, too, bad performers such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are states ruled by non-UPA parties.
The National Rural Drinking Water Programme is another scheme whose implementation has been poor irrespective of the political divide. The scheme involves covering habitations where potable water quality has deteriorated. However, states’ performance has shown an appreciable fall despite the programme being a part of the Centre’s larger Bharat Nirman programme.
Data furnished by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation shows that safe drinking water has been provided only to 2,896 habitations in the first four months, as against a target of 4,952.
However, the targeted public distribution programme, under which government provides subsidised grains to below and above poverty line families, has been one of the best performers, with the majority of states showing satisfactory progress in distribution of ration cards.