The Prayas ePathshala

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23 January 2023 – The Indian Express

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Aspirational Blocks Programme

Context:

  • An Adivasi hamlet in the Sulthan Bathery block of the district Wayanad in Kerala, which shares a border with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, is located there.
  • Due to its geographic isolation, the area can only be reached by foot. To provide medical care, the district makes use of mobile medical units, a van containing a tribal medical officer, an ASHA volunteer, and a public health nurse.
  • To make sure that residents are examined for any conditions, given medication, and given counselling, medical camps were established.
  • Similar to Sulthan Bathery, geographical isolation and other factors have prevented socioeconomic development in many of these areas throughout India.
  • But there is hope now. Sulthan Bathery is one of the blocks the state of Kerala chose as part of the Aspirational Blocks Program to enhance the delivery of public services.

Current Situation:

  • The Aspirational Blocks Program was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Second National Conference of Chief Secretaries (ABP).
  • This transformational programme focuses on enhancing governance to improve the quality of life for residents in India’s most challenging and underdeveloped areas by combining existing programmes, defining outcomes, and continuously monitoring them.
  • The government’s flagship Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), which was introduced in 2018 across 112 underdeveloped districts of India, served as the foundation for the ABP’s notable success.

 Aspirational Blocks Program (ABP) information:

  • 500 blocks from 28 states and four union territories had been chosen by an interministerial committee after consulting with the states.
  • The ABP will concentrate on tracking 15 key socioeconomic indicators (KSIs) in each of them, which are divided into six main categories: basic infrastructure and social development, health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, and water resources.
  • These themes were chosen so that states would have the flexibility to add additional state-specific KSIs to address local challenges while still facilitating the holistic development of each block.
  • The KSIs will be monitored in real-time, and rankings will be published on a regular basis across important subject areas to generate healthy competition among the blocks and promote data-driven governance.
  • The emphasis on blocks is reminiscent of the historical significance of development blocks, which were first introduced in 1952 to support improvements in communication networks, rural health and hygiene, and rural education, as well as a significant expansion of the nation’s agricultural programme.
  • By constructing social and economic infrastructure, development blocks make sure that a greater than proportionate share of development reaches the vulnerable and marginalised groups of the population.
  • The block, which serves as an administrative and oversight body, makes sure that a “one-size-fits-all” strategy is not utilised across the board.
  • Instead, the block administration can implement tailored strategies to enhance socioeconomic indicators based on the regional context and the most pressing needs. Additionally, this approach moves the decision-making closer to the people.

 Constructing blocks as “Jan Andolans”:

  • The ADP has demonstrated that success will come if development is viewed as a “Jan Andolan” and a district’s progress is continuously tracked.
  • Many aspirational districts have performed better than the state average over the past five years in terms of a number of indicators.
  • For instance, in Paschimi Singbhum, a Jharkhand district affected by left-wing extremism, the percentage of pregnant women registered during the first trimester increased from 39% in 2018 to 91% in 2022.
  • The proportion of institutional deliveries has increased in districts like Gumla in Jharkhand, Karauli in Rajasthan, Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh, and Dhalai in Tripura, from about 40% to more than 90%.
  • There are other success stories, such as the use of self-help groups in rural Ranchi to promote financial inclusion and financial literacy using UPI and BHIM apps, the provision of additional incentives to locals and frontline workers in Barwani (Madhya Pradesh) to ensure that pregnant women visit the public health institution for ante-natal and post-natal care, and the complete digitization of court services to improve speed and access to justice in rural Osmanabad, among others (Maharashtra).

Budgetary support for the programme for aspirational development:

  • In her speech on the Union Budget on February 1, 2022, the finance minister noted that 95% of the 112 aspirational districts had made notable advancements in key areas like health, nutrition, financial inclusion, and skill development.
  • She did draw attention to the fact that some blocks continue to perform poorly. The causes of this can be multifaceted and include, among other things, hazardous terrain, a lack of resources, historical injustice, social marginalisation, and communal fragility.

 Moving ahead:

  • By enhancing block-level governance and last-mile service delivery, the ABP will address current inequities.
  • States are expected to act as the main proponents of this project by directing, assisting, reviewing, and developing the skills of the appropriate officers to advance the programme.
  • The officers at the block level will enhance the delivery of crucial last mile services under the direction of the district administration. For the purpose of promoting social welfare, they will concentrate on enhancing the infrastructure at the block level.
  • To close significant administrative gaps and maintain these advancements for a long time, several line departments of the block administration will come together and cooperate.
  • Economic growth will be positively accelerated by this all-encompassing development. The blocks will thereafter be able to contribute to India’s GDP and help fulfil important milestones outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • The initiative aims to increase citizens’ understanding of their rights and safeguard their dignity by improving access to government programmes. Additionally, it gives all block administrators a shared forum to share their best practises and lessons learned.

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