Amidst talks of “policy paralysis”, the UPA can finally claim to have reached a stage where it can think beyond the below poverty line (BPL) for flagship schemes. After Gujarat and Punjab, along with a few districts in Uttar Pradesh, succeeded in exhausting their existing BPL lists for the Centrally-sponsored Indira Awas Yojna (IAY), the move has begun to eye non-BPL class too.
“Gujarat, Punjab and a few districts in UP have nearly exhausted their respective existing BPL lists under the IAY scheme. This has made way for funds being utilised by these states under the scheme being diverted to other states,” said a senior official in the ministry of rural development. The development also means that the poor in the two states have got pucca houses. This is a big achievement in itself for the IAY scheme, said the official, who added that the government is looking at alternatives to keep the scheme afloat in these states. “The Centre is mulling allowing people in these states to access the benefits of IAY to replace their old houses with new ones. Such a move will allow performing states to continue IAY to function in their states,” said the official. Under the IAY, people within the BPL category get `45,000 to build their houses. While Centre supports with 75 per cent of the funds under the schemes, the states have to pitch in with the remaining 25 per cent. The Centre is also awaiting the outcome of the ongoing Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), which is expected to be completed this year, to get fresh list of BPL people in the states.
While Gujarat and Punjab have taken the lead in saturating demands under IAY, the Centre is also looking forward to focus on central and eastern states, which are lagging behind. “States like Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal are lagging the most in exhausting their respective BPL lists under IAY, apparently since the governments in these states are not willing to aggressively take benefits to the people due to financial burden as they have to contribute 25 per cent of the funds for the scheme,” the official said.