The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an extension to the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), a centrally-sponsored scheme to help rural India achieve key targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The 2030 agenda, adopted by all member states in 2015, consists of a set of 17 targets that require an “urgent call for action by all member countries”. The first goal is to end poverty in all its forms by 2030.
RGSA, worth ₹5,911 crore, is aimed at empowering 278,000 panchayati raj institutions, or elected rural local governments, to implement the SDGs.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revamped RGSA to be executed from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026. The programme will focus on developing the “governance capabilities” of panchayati raj institutions.
According to the Centre for Science and Environment’s ‘State of India’s Environment Report, 2022’ released last month, India slipped three spots from rank 117 to 120 on the 17 SDGs.
The revamped scheme, cleared by the Cabinet, focuses on SDGs in nine areas -- poverty free and enhanced livelihood in villages, healthy village, child-friendly village, water-sufficient village, clean and green village, self-sufficient infrastructure in village, socially secured village, village with good governance and engendered development in village.
{{/usCountry}}The revamped scheme, cleared by the Cabinet, focuses on SDGs in nine areas -- poverty free and enhanced livelihood in villages, healthy village, child-friendly village, water-sufficient village, clean and green village, self-sufficient infrastructure in village, socially secured village, village with good governance and engendered development in village.
{{/usCountry}}Of the total financial outlay of ₹5,911 crore, the central share is ₹3,700 crore, while the share of states is ₹2,211 crore.
“Implementation and monitoring of the activities of the scheme will broadly be aligned for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Panchayats are the focal points for all the developmental activities and implementation of schemes of various Ministries/ Departments and State Government to achieve SDGs,” a cabinet statement said.
According to the scheme’s goal plan, as panchayats have representation of “Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and women”, and are “institutions closest to the grassroots”, strengthening them will “promote equity and inclusiveness, along with social justice and economic development of the community”.
“India slipped in the SDG rankings in CSE’s report mainly due to poor performance on hunger, gender equality and sustainable-development parameters,” said Aravind Krishnan of Samaj Pragati Sahayog, a rural non-profit.
According to Krishnan, since the 15th Finance Commission, the body that devolves taxes between Centre and states, has also enhanced grants for rural bodies, “resources can’t be an excuse for lagging in SDGs anymore”.