From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 2:39 PM
Subject: Releases.........pt1
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Human Resource Development
HRD Ministry Clarification Regarding Newspaper Reports Alleging Misuse of UK Grants for SSA
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
The Department of School Education and Literacy would like to place the following facts for information of the public in the context of newspaper reports alleging misuse of UK grants to SSA.
1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a flagship programme of the Government of India for universalising elementary education for all children in the 6- 14 age group.
2. SSA is supported largely by domestic resources. Since inception the Government of India and the State Governments have invested Rs 91,431 crore in the SSA. SSA was partially funded by Development Partners, viz. World Bank, DFID and EU to the tune of (a) Rs 4700 crore from 2004-05 to 2006-07 and (b) Rs 4330 crore from 2007-08 to 2009-10. Since inception DFID has reimbursed Rs 2500 crore, which represents 2.7% of the total investment under SSA.
3. Expenditure under SSA is incurred as per well defined norms articulated in the SSA Framework of Implementation and the Manual of Financial Management and Procurement. Upto 6% of SSA funds can be spent on office expenses and management such as office equipment, salary and fee of resource persons, rentals for office space and vehicles, etc.
4. SSA funds are released to the States by the Government of India based on their approved Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B). The reimbursement of the expenditures is claimed from the Development Partners based on actual expenditures incurred. The reimbursement claims are also contingent upon completion of annual audits and submission of audit reports. The Development Partners invariably, exercise appropriate checks while admitting reimbursement claims.
5. SSA follows a rigorous and robust monitoring system, which includes:
· Concurrent financial review by independent agency, namely the Institute of Public Auditors of India
· Annual Statutory Audit by Chartered Accountants, selected from the C&AG panel of CA firms. The Annual Statutory Audit covers village education committees (VEC) which spend more than Rs one lakh in a three year cycle.
· Internal Audit by States
· Quarterly Review Meetings with Financial Controllers
· Periodic Performance Audit by C&AG. The C&AG audit of SSA was discussed in the Public Accounts Committee in 2007-08; oral and written evidence has been submitted.
6. The World Bank undertook a post-procurement review on sample basis in 2009-10. Findings of this post-procurement reviews have also indicated satisfactory procurement practices, and no mis-procurement was reported.
7. SSA also has a system of biannual Joint Review Missions (JRMs), in which the Development Partners participate. DFID has been an active participant in all the JRMs. The last JRM was held in January 2010 noted had as its objective review of progress in the implementation with respect to SSA Goals and agreed indicators. The JRM observed (quote) with appreciation the continued progress made towards SSA goals since the last Mission submitted its report… (unquote).
8. SSA works on the basic principle of self disclosure and transparency. Since it is a programme with large community ownership and participation, there is emphasis on public display and sharing of information with the public.
9. All cases of deviations from guidelines are dealt with severely. The States themselves have conducted enquiries and lodged FIRs besides special audits commissioned by GoI. Appropriate disciplinary action has also been initiated. where necessary.
The Department of School Education and Literacy is dismayed and shocked at the unsubstantiated allegations in the press on the misuse of UK Grants for SSA.
The Department is writing to the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.
mv/hb/dk/kol/14:25 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
Housing and Infrastructural Facilities
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
No physical targets were set for the States/UTs for the creation of housing and infrastructural facilities under the Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) in the country but on the basis of average costs and total financial outlay, it was estimated that 1.5 million houses with basic amenities could be targeted. State-wise financial allocations in the form of Additional Central Assistance (ACA) were fixed by the Planning Commission. The details regarding Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are as follows:
(Rs. in crores)
| State | Mission Period ACA Allocation | Total ACA committed | ACA released | Slum houses approved | ||||
| BSUP | IHSDP | BSUP | IHSDP | BSUP | IHSDP | BSUP | IHSDP | |
| Bihar | 531.54 | 168.07 | 312.76 | 177.67 | 78.19 | 61.99 | 22372 | 12956 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1165.22 | 854.41 | 1138.84 | 634.61 | 355.02 | 286.04 | 67992 | 37425 |
Steps taken by the Government to enable achievement of the targets include: issue of guidelines to States/UTs to access ACA, financial support to develop both institutional and human resource capacity including preparation of City Development Plans and Detailed Project Reports, establishment of Programme Management Unit at the State level and Project Implementation Units at the city/town level, handholding support, issue of toolkits, software, guidelines to facilitate project preparation and conduct of National, State and Regional level workshops in project planning, management, appraisal and monitoring.
Assessment of the implementation of BSUP and IHSDP is made on basis of Quarterly and Monthly Progress Reports, National, Regional and State level reviews, field visits by officers from Central Government and JNNURM Monitoring Cell, including experts. Further, Third Party Inspection and Monitoring agencies undertake inspection of projects and send assessment reports covering quality and other aspects. A Mid-term appraisal study of the 11th Plan by the Planning Commission, which covers implementation of JNNURM among other things, reveals the following:
I. JNNURM has been effective in renewing focus on the urban sector across the country; however the need to raise capacity and investment resources is substantial. It has been successful in catalyzing significant investments into the physical infrastructure of cities.
II. Much of this investment has been directed towards the provision of critical basic services that are essential to inclusiveness.
III. The Programme has created renewed focus on cities and allowed states and ULBs to raise their aspirations.
ad/db/dk/kol/14:27 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Appointment by ACC
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Dr. J.M.Phatak, IAS(MH:78), presently Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, as Chairman and Managing Director, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited under the Ministry of Power in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary, in the vacancy of Shri P. Uma Shankar, IAS(UP:76)
vba/sr/dk/kol/14:27 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Law & Justice
Calcutta High Court Judges Appointed
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint (i) Shri Tarun Kumar Gupta, (ii) Shri Ragunath Bhattacharya, (iii) Shri Asim Kumar Ray, (iv) Shri Mrinal Kanti Chaudhuri and (v) Shri Kanchan Chakraborty to be judges of the Calcutta High Court, in that order of seniority, with effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices.
vlk/dk/kol/14:27 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Law & Justice
Patna High Court Chief Justice Appointed
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Miss Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit, Judge of the Gujarat High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.
vlk/dk/kol/14:27 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Law & Justice
Mdaras High Court Chief Justice Appointed
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice M. Yusuf Eqbal, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
vlk/dk/kol/14:28 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Anand Sharma to Attend St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, will be on a two-day visit to Russia from 18-19 June 2010. During the visit, he will be addressing the Plenary Session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum along with the Russian President Medvedev.
Shri Sharma will be accompanied by a high-level business delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). During the course of his visit, Shri Sharma is expected to call on the Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Vladimir Putin, and have substantive bilateral meetings with Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Sobyanin, Minister of Economic Development, Ms. Elvira Nabiullina and Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr.Viktor Khristenko. Shri Sharma's visit to Russia follows a highly successful visit of Russian Prime Minister in March this year.
For the first time, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be convening an India-Russia Business Dialogue, signalling the growing economic engagement between the two countries. The bilateral trade between the two countries in 2009 stood at US $ 7.4 billion, registering a growth of 8% over the previous year and a target has been set at US $ 20 billion by 2015.
rj/mrs/dk/kol/14:28 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Railways
Commodity-Wise Freight Revenue by Railways Goes up by 8.99 Per Cent During April-May 2010
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
The Railways have generated Rs.10044.54 crore of revenue earnings from commodity-wise freight traffic during April-May 2010 as compared to Rs. 9216.12 crore during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 8.99 per cent. Railways carried 146.41 million tonnes of commodity-wise freight traffic during April-May 2010 as compared to 141.63 million tonnes carried during the corresponding period last year, registering an increase of 3.37 per cent. The Net Tonne Kilo Metres (NTKM) went up from 92566 million during April-May 2009 to 98417 million during April-May 2010, showing an increase of 6.32 per cent.
Out of the total earnings of Rs. 5151.79 crore from commodity-wise freight traffic during the month of May 2010, Rs. 1955.78 crore came from transportation of 33.61 million tonnes of coal, followed by Rs. 774.22 crore from 9.79 million tonnes of iron ore for exports, steel plants and for other domestic user, Rs. 486.29 crore from 8.10 million tonnes of cement, Rs. 381.37 crore from 3.48 million tonnes of foodgrains, Rs. 294.39 crore from 3.35 million tonnes of petroleum oil and lubricant (POL), Rs. 265.77 crore from 2.43 million tonnes of Pig iron and finished steel from steel plants and other points, Rs. 236.71 crore from 3.26 million tonnes of fertilizers, Rs. 90.03 crore from 1.05 million tonnes of raw material for steel plants except iron ore, Rs. 262.77 crore from 3.06 million tonnes by container service and Rs. 374.46 crore from 6.11 million tonnes of other goods.
aks/hk/lk/tr/dk/kol/14:28 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
53.5 Thousand New Male Health Workers for Sub Health Centres in Disease-Prone Districts
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
In a big boost to Public Health System, the government approved hiring of more than 53500 male health workers for all the Sub Health Centers (SHC) in 235 high focus districts from the point of view of disease control. The total costs for providing the male health workers on contract at the 53,544 SHCs in the 235 high focus districts would be Rs. 385.52 crores per year and the central government will bear 85 per cent , 75 per cent and 65 per cent share in first three years. The Decision was approved by the Mission Steering Group of National Rural Health Mission chaired by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and attended by Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri CP Joshi and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others, here yesterday.
The male health worker should be the focal point for all the disease control programmes including malaria, TB, leprosy, filaria and kala-azar as well other preventive health care activities including water testing, chlorination, sanitation and school health. This would also improve maternal and child health care by enabling the ANMs to take up the additional preventive health care tasks such as control of nutritional anaemia and adolescent health care. The presence of a male health worker will also expedite making the SHCs 24x7.
The scheme involves, apart from supporting contractual appointments in the identified 235 high focus districts, rejuvenating the multipurpose course for male health worker at all the erstwhile institutions and starting new schools in underserved districts. This also includes stipendiary support of Rs. 500 to the students. The financial implication for assisting the 56 HFW Training centres (Rs. 59 lakhs each) would be Rs. 33.04 crores. The course content can be revised to meet the present and future requirements of disease control programmes as well as Maternal and Child Health. A sub-committee with representatives of all disease control programmes and HFW Training centres from selected States with due representation from high focus districts may be constituted to complete the task within 2 to 3 months.
ds/dk/kol/14:28 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Government Approves Scheme for Menstrual Hygiene
1.5 Crore Girls to Get Low-Cost Sanitary Napkins
New Delhi: June 16, 2010
In a bid to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls, the Government has approved Rs 150 Crore scheme to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas. The scheme envisages supplying a pack of six sanitary napkins to Below Poverty Line (BPL) girls at a nominal cost of Re. 1 per pack. All girls in the Above Poverty Line (APL) category will be charged Rs. 5 per pack of Sanitary napkins (or the final determined cost in the state). The Decision was approved by the Mission Steering Group of National Rural Health Mission chaired by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and attended by Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri CP Joshi and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others, here yesterday.
This initiative will roll out in phases, with 25% of the country being covered in the first phase, i.e. 150 districts (1500 blocks) out of a total of approximately 600 districts. In the first year, this will be rolled out in 150 districts across the country, of which 30 districts will be from the four Southern States, Maharashtra and Gujarat, and 120 districts will be in the Northern, Central and NE states. In this phase the initiative will be focused in rural areas. The calculations in this proposal are based upon a target population of 1.5 crore girls in the age group of 10-19 years. Out of these, 1.5 crore girls, the approximate proportion of APL girls is about 70% (105 lakhs) and that of BPL girls is 30% (45 lakhs).
In its totality, the scheme aims to increase awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene, increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas and will ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally friendly manner. At the community level, ASHA will be responsible for ensuring an adequate supply of Sanitary napkins for adolescent girls who require them. The Sunday meeting by ASHA would be the key forum to enable this regular supply. ASHA will also contact girls in their homes who are unable to attend meetings to ensure that they have a supply of Sanitary Napkins. The role of ASHA in supplying the sanitary napkins is one suggested option. States are free to select other mechanisms in keeping with local context. Incentive for ASHA is built in the scheme, she will get Rs 1 for every pack she sells.
Thus there are two possible ways to source sanitary napkins. Through enabling manufacture by SHG groups in the states, given that across the country under various national and state programmes under Women & Child Development, Rural Development, Social Welfare, Women's Development Corporations, SHG groups are fairly widespread and active. This method of procurement will be applicable in the all 30 districts in the Southern states and 20 districts in the other states, where SHG presence is strong. Second option can be sourcing through sanitary napkin manufactures through a competitive bidding process. This can be done in the 100 districts in Central, Northern and NE states, where SHGs may not yet be mature. The choice of sourcing sanitary napkins will be left to the states. However the states will need to put into place uniform standards for production and quality checks to ensure safety of the product in line with the Bureau of Industrial Standards.
ds/gk/dk/kol/14:29 hrs.
--
Palash Biswas
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http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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