The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the proposal of the Ministry of Minority Affairs for restructuring and its implementation of the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) during 12th Five Year Plan according to the following modifications:

i. The unit of planning for implementation of MsDP has been changed to Block, instead of District at present to sharpen the focus on minorities.

ii. Further, the programme would be extended to cover other deserving areas like towns/cities also. The cluster of minority concentration villages would also be covered by the programme.

iii. Constitution of Block Level Committee would be constituted to ensure grass root planning and involvement of members of Panchayati Raj Institutions in a bigger way. The Block Level Committee, would prepare the plan for the Block, and also monitor the implementation of the programme at their level.

iv. Delegation of powers to approve projects to States to expedite the approval process.

Total outlay of Rs. 5,775 crore has been allocated for this programme for the 12th Five Year Plan.

The restructuring would sharpen the focus of the programme on minority concentration areas. Further, the programme would be expanded to other deserving areas including towns/cities. Thus the programme would be able to address development issues of the minorities in a more effective way.

After restructuring, the MsDP would be implemented in 710 identified Minority Concentration Blocks (MCBs) and 66 towns/cities falling in 196 districts of 26 States/UTs of the country, against 90 Minority Concentrations Districts (MCDs) at present in 20 States. Thus, 6 more States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tripura will also be covered. Also, 165 blocks and 66 towns/cities would come under the fold of this programme for the first time. In addition to these blocks and towns, it would be implemented in identified clusters of villages outside the MCBs which would be identified by State Governments.

MsDP which is an area development programme, is a Centrally Sponsored flagship scheme launched in the 2008-09 in the 90 identified MCDs falling in 20 States/UTs. The programme aims to address development deficit in MCDs by creating socio-economic infrastructure and providing basic amenities. The restructuring has been done to make the programme more effective and focused for the upliftment of the minorities.

SC/KR/NK

(Release ID :96415)

Programme restructuring shifts planning to block-level, adds towns and village clusters, and delegates project approval to states. Restructuring revises MsDP into an area-focused model by shifting the planning unit from district to Block level, extending coverage to towns/cities and clusters of minority-concentration villages, constituting Block Level Committees for grassroots planning and monitoring, delegating project approval powers to States, and expanding geographic scope to additional Blocks and towns to address socio-economic infrastructure and basic amenity deficits.