Context

The Prime Minister has recently praised the Bharuch district administration and the Gujarat Government for covering 100 percent of beneficiaries in the district under four national schemes.

Background

• Welfare schemes are programmes that are meant to improve lives and provide support to vulnerable people in society.
• Indian Government, at all levels, announces welfare schemes from time to time like Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Bharat Nirman, etc.
• Although these programs have helped to alleviate poverty and benefit many, most of the programs are mired with leakages and corruption.
• Implementation is the major stage that impacts the grass root level of society and hence this stage should never be neglected by the agencies.
• The result of good governance is seen in the event in Bharuch. So let us examine the situation.

About

• Between January and May, Surat enrolled 13,431 beneficiaries under four schemes — Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Vrudhhavasta Pension Yojana (IGRVPY), Niradhar Vrudh Sahay Yojana (NVSY), Ganga Swaroop Arthik Sahay Yojana (GSASY) and Rashtriya Kutumb Sahay Yojana (RKSY).
• The schemes are for widows and senior citizens and the district’s drive to enroll all beneficiaries were named “Utkarsh Pahel”.
  
  
  

How did Bharuch achieve this milestone?

Bharuch is a good example of public, administration, and private sector cooperation.

Step 1: Dissemination of Information

• A campaign drive was started by the name of “UTKARSH PAHEL” with WhatsApp helpline numbers to identify beneficiaries.
• District administration also shared information about the schemes at the Samaj Suraksha office at the taluka and district levels.
• Hoardings were put up at different locations and advertisements were issued in the newspapers and local news channels. 

Step 2: Registration of Beneficiaries

• The response started coming after the information campaign and the administration sent teams to different villages in the talukas, to get the forms of beneficiaries filled out.

Utkarsh Sahayaks: they are the youths who are 10 class pass hired by private industry to help the administration in filling up the forms of beneficiaries.

Remuneration: 305 Utkarsh Sahayaks were identified and paid an incentive of Rs 250 to Rs 500 per enrolment.

Good Governance ‘Governance’ is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance, and local governance.

What are the impacts of Good governance?

• Participation of locals: People should be able to voice their own opinions through legitimate immediate organizations or representatives.
• Consensus Oriented: Consensus-oriented decision-making ensures that even if everyone does not achieve what they want to the fullest, a common minimum can be achieved by everyone which will not be detrimental to anyone.
• Accountability: Good governance aims toward the betterment of people, and this cannot take place without the government being accountable to the people.
• Responsiveness: Institutions and processes should serve all stakeholders in a reasonable period of time.

Conclusion

Corruption in welfare programmes leads to fiscal waste and hinders the development of society. Schemes like MGNREGA, PDS, mid-day meals, etc. had been mired with controversies of corruption. Proper scrutiny with stringent punishments is needed.