TN, Gujarat best in JNNURM: IEO study

New independent evalution office begins study of this and rural job guarantee schemes

Tamil Nadu has the best record in completion of projects and Gujarat in reforming urban laws under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. This is the initial assessment of the new Independent Evaluation Office, under the Planning Commission. Bihar has been the worst performer on both.

"Progress in policy reforms remains very uneven, with the highest score for Gujarat and the weakest performance for Bihar," Director-General Ajay Chhibber said. The mission has two major aims, policy reforms at the state level and implementation of projects at the municipal level in 66 large cities.

The Cabinet had approved the IEO's creation in November 2010. It was to undertake an assessment of various public programmes and improve their effectiveness. It was formally launched last month.

The IEO is expected to give its first report on the functioning of the public distribution system and on the maternal mortality rate by June. It has also started analysing the JNNURM and the impact of the government's flagship programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), on lowering poverty. The two assessments  are expected to be completed in a year.

“We have found JNNURM has some structural and design problems, which need to be identified before the next government starts working on the second phase of the mission,” said Chhibber.

On JNNURM, he said a report by the Union comptroller and auditor genera in 2012 found only one per cent of housing projects and 18 per cent of urban infrastructure – two core components – had been completed. These were due to poor planning, languid implementation, variable institutional capacity, irregular financing and clearance delays.

“We will also examine issues related to coordination between the ministry of urban development and the ministry for housing and urban poverty alleviation on JNNURM,” said Chhibber.

The evaluation will provide recommendations for the next phase of urban programmes, noting the needs of India's rapidly urbanising population

On MGNREGS, the IEO is evaluating the impact on rural wages, government claims over its impact on migration, the assets created and performance on convergence.

"A 2012, study by Pratham, a non-government organisation, showed almost 72% of the rural respondents in seven backward states -- Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh -- were not even aware of MGNREGS, alarming as crores of rupees have been spent on the programme and these were the states expected to be the most benefited," said Chhibber. He said the evaluation would note all these.