Integrated Rural Development Program

In 1978, the Integrated Rural Development Program was established to provide rural people with employment opportunities. The program’s objective is to improve the skill sets of people in order to better their living standards by enhancing their chances of livelihood. This scheme not only provides the required assistance to persons living in poverty but also assists them in improving their living standards. 

The scheme is regarded as one of the most effective yojanas for addressing poverty-related issues by providing required subsidies as well as employment possibilities to individuals who fall below the poverty line. The program is a centrally sponsored scheme that is shared between the central government and the state government on a 50:50 basis.

The Objective of the Integrated Rural Development Program 

The objective of the Integrated Rural Development Program is to assist low-income households in improving their living conditions. It also empowers the disadvantaged sections of society by assisting them in developing on all levels. The program’s objectives are achieved by helping the program’s targeted groups by providing credit help and other benefits at the required time. The assets can be from the primary, secondary, or tertiary sectors given to those families as financial support in the form of government subsidies. Also, loans and credit are provided by financial organisations.

Funding mechanism of the Integrated Rural Development Program 

The Integrated Rural Development Program is a centrally sponsored scheme that is shared between the union and states in a ratio of 50:50. Since 1980, the program has been in existence in all of the country’s blocks. Under this scheme, central funds are allocated to states based on the proportion of rural people who have a domicile in the state. Financial institutions such as commercial banks, regional rural banks, and cooperative banks assist beneficiaries in the form of government subsidies while granting credit and loans.

Beneficiary

Rural people particularly the artists from rural areas, labourers, farmers on the verge of failure particularly the small and marginalised, scheduled castes and tribes that have been designated by the government, and people having a yearly income of less than Rs 11,000. 

To ensure that the program’s benefits reach the most vulnerable members of society, it is required that at least 50% of aided families come from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Furthermore, women recipients should receive 40% of the coverage of the scheme, and handicapped people should receive 3%.

Benefits given under the Program

Subsidies are available to the number of beneficiaries but the subsidy percentage varies. Small-scale farmers ( get 25 percent subsidy on loans), Agricultural labourers and marginal farmers (33.33 percent ), Families with SC/ST and persons who are differently-abled (50 percent ) and the maximum subsidy amount for SC/ST households and differently-abled persons, the has been set at Rs 6,000. First preference is given to people who have been awarded surplus land ceiling, as well as Green card holders who fall under the categories of free bonded labourers and family welfare programmes.

Implementation 

• At the national level, the Ministry of Rural Development is responsible for the development of rural areas and employment. It is responsible for the release of the Integrated Rural Development Program funds, the formation of policies, programme evaluation, monitoring, and guidance. 

• At the state level, the State Level Coordination Committee (SLCC) implements the scheme.

• At the grass-roots level, this Program is implemented by District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) and Block Level Agencies. Local MPs and MLAs, the chairman of the Zila-Parishad, heads of district development departments, members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes along with women make up the governing body of DRDAs.

• The National Rural Development Programme (NRDP), Indira Awaas Yojna (IAY),  Minimum Needs Programme (MNP), Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM), and Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) are some of the important schemes which are merged with Integrated Rural Development Program.

Conclusion

The Integrated Rural Development Program is referred to as a “primary tool for alleviating rural poverty.” The major goal of the program is to lift families and targeted groups out of poverty by providing them with long-term self-employment opportunities in the rural sector. Despite the working of the scheme, many loopholes need to be improved. The Ministry of Rural Development established the District Rural Development Agency for planning purposes of this program but no set-up method is followed. The program lacks surveys of local communities, which leads to poor planning. Inadequate implementation due to inefficient training for officers and staff. Also, some states declined to bear the burden of the 50% funding. Despite all these issues, this scheme helped millions of rural people.