Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Volunteer community workers will henceforth ensure better delivery of flagship welfare schemes and public services in Maoist-controlled areas to those who need them most.

Concerned that welfare funds don’t percolate down to beneficiaries in areas overrun by Maoist insurgents because of misappropriation, the government has decided to involve Bharat Nirman Volunteers in a major way to ensure transparency and better delivery of government welfare programmes.

The BNV scheme, launched by the rural development ministry April 2011, has attracted around 21,000 volunteers so far. The volunteers are expected to help bridge the trust deficit between government agencies and the local community.

The ministry hopes to mobilise at least 1,000 such volunteers from each of the 60 Maoist-affected districts where an integrated action plan (IAP) is being pursued to push development.

According to estimates, the government spends around as much as Rs.80,000 crore on various welfare schemes per year but is concerned that the funds don’t reach the people owing to corruption at various levels of bureaucracy.

Taking note of it, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed the hope that the volunteers can facilitate social audit of the government welfare programmes and expedite redressal of public grievances.

“I hope the volunteers will enable better access to public services and improvement in outreach of government programmes besides ensuring greater transparency and accountability in their implementation,” said the prime minister in a recent message to the ministry.

Officials in the ministry feel, “Not only the IAP districts, the volunteers can play a key role in reaching out to the targeted beneficiaries across the country.”

“Lack of awareness about their rights not only adds to the problem, it also alienates the community further,” confessed officials, one of whom briefed IANS, speaking only on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

This alienation is exploited by Maoists to win poor tribals and others to their ranks, they said.

In Andhra Pradesh, around 80 BNVs in four blocks in Adilabad and three blocks in Khammam district are functional.

In Jharkhand, two blocks have been identified where the volunteers are being trained.

Functioning in Chhattisgarh are around 200 BNVs in Bastar, 43 in Narainpur and 55 in Sarguja.

Over 70 BNVs are functional in four blocks of Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts in Odisha.

Feedback from the ground level has indicated the volunteers support the panchayats and ensure better delivery of various government welfare programmes.

Besides ensuring greater transparency, the BNVs help empower the weaker sections and help in conflict resolution at the community level.

Each of the IAP district gets Rs.55 crore per annum to create social infrastructure like hospitals, schools, roads and bridges needed urgently.

The ministry has asked the Planning Commission to sanction around Rs.8,000 crore to expand the scheme over the next five years.

(Amit Agnihotri can be contacted at amit.a@ians.in)