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Department of NRI Affairs, Government of Punjab NRI-GoP Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (PLAN SCHEME NRI 2.35)
Objective
The Govt. of India has accorded high priority to rural infrastructure, especially drinking water supply, for which purpose, it has merged all rural drinking water schemes under the Rajiv Gandhi National Schemes Water Mission.
There are number of NRIs/NRI NGOs who are keen to contribute to the development of their native areas for improving the living conditions. With a view to provide an enabling and facilitating platform for such contribution to the development of their villages and rural areas by the NRIs, Government of Punjab in the Department of NRIs Affairs has floated a Plan Scheme NRI 2.35 which allows 50% matching grants by the GoP for all Village Development Programs which are initiated by NRI NGOs. The scheme was announced with a view to ensure full participation of the NRIs and NRI NGOs into the village infrastructure development activities which would also ensure the desired ownership of the public property by the villagers and the subsequent maintenance of the infrastructure created with local initiative. The scheme has been working satisfactorily under the High Level Committee Called the Punjab NRI Committee for Development (PUNRICD) constituted vide No. 1/18/04-NRI(2)/576-583 dated 14.8.05 (Annexure-I) as per the modalities already approved by the Govt. in the Department of NRI Affairs.
There are number of NRIs/NRI NGOs who are keen to contribute to the development of their native areas for improving the living conditions. With a view to provide an enabling and facilitating platform for such contribution to the development of their villages and rural areas by the NRIs, Government of Punjab in the Department of NRIs Affairs has floated a Plan Scheme NRI 2.35 which allows 50% matching grants by the GoP for all Village Development Programs which are initiated by NRI NGOs. The scheme was announced with a view to ensure full participation of the NRIs and NRI NGOs into the village infrastructure development activities which would also ensure the desired ownership of the public property by the villagers and the subsequent maintenance of the infrastructure created with local initiative. The scheme has been working satisfactorily under the High Level Committee Called the Punjab NRI Committee for Development (PUNRICD) constituted vide No. 1/18/04-NRI(2)/576-583 dated 14.8.05 (Annexure-I) as per the modalities already approved by the Govt. in the Department of NRI Affairs.
Scope
The Plan scheme NRI 2.35 shall be a source of funding open to all Villages/Gram Panchayats in the State of Punjab, provided they meet the eligibility conditions set for any project or class of projects from time to time. Since the scheme has been formulated with a view to provide overall benefit of the general masses and overall community development of the area. Government has decided that such projects will not be restricted to hospitals, libraries, drinking water, sewerage disposal, public latrines, street lights, sports stadium but other areas affecting the people of all walks of life can also be considered. A suggestive list of the projects is given in Annexure-II. Whereas, the NRI NGOs adopting the Gram Panchayat shall be responsible for providing their share of resource for a project, the funds made available to a Gram Panchayat by the Village Development Scheme NRI 2.35 shall be a grant against such share.
Eligibility
PUNRICD would take up:-
- Only those projects under plan schemes NRI 2.35 which are normally not be less than Rs. 10 lac and proposal must be accompanied by the detailed project duly considered and approved by the DINRICD.
- Erstwhile villages now included in the Municipal limits subject to the condition that not more than 25% of the total funds would be spent on such semi-urban areas.
- Projects for sewerage i.e. augmentation of drinking water, underground sewerage and waste water treatment to be funded by the NRIs and State Govt. on 90:10 sharing basis provided the NRI/NGOs would simultaneously under take other projects in the village and overall share of the NRI/NGO and state in all the overall integrated project would be equivalent to 50:50 basis.
- Only those Gram Panchayats will be selected which adopt a resolution to meet the complete Operation & Maintenance expenses of the facility created. Sufficient funds from various revenue streams such as donations from NRIs, including user charges shall be put in a dedicated account for meeting the full expenditure of O&M of the project, by the Gram Panchayat, which shall be solely responsible for funding O&M adequately. A resolution in this regard will be passed by Gram Panchayat and submitted to the Deputy Commissioner. A resolution as per Annexure-IV in this regard will be passed by Gram Panchayat and submitted to Deputy Commissioner whereupon the project details (feasibility, cost estimates etc.) will be prepared by the NRI NGO in consultation with the Gram Panchayat.
- The Project proposal must involve creation of some tangible public assets and not intangible assets like scholarships or services etc.
Operation
As per the modalities already approved by the Government in the Department of NRIs Affairs, Punjab will control the allocation and release of funds allocated in the Village Development Scheme NRI 2.35. A part of the annual outlay could be withdrawn and kept in a Nationalized bank to release matching grants to NRIs who take up development activities in rural areas in right earnest. This is being done to encourage more funds to flow into rural areas from overseas.
Operation and Maintentance
Meeting the full operation and maintenance cost of the infrastructure created through Plan Scheme NRI 2.35 shall be the responsibility of the NRI / NGO or the concerned Gram Panchayat. For this purpose, the gram Panchayat would levy a fee from the residents of the villages to be collected on quarterly, half yearly or yearly basis as the Panchayat may decide.
