[Answered] Mission Antyodaya should be strengthened to transform rural India — in terms of development and social justice. Discuss.

The Indian Constitution mandates local governments to prepare and implement plans for economic development and social justice (Articles 243G and 243W). The main objective of ‘Mission Antyodaya’ is to ensure optimum use of resources through the convergence of various schemes and making gram panchayat the hub of a development plan. The Mission seeks to eradicate poverty in its multiple dimensions among rural households and to achieve the vision of a Poverty-free India by 2022.

Issues:

• There is no serious effort to converge resources from ongoing schemes which creates additional fiscal burden.
• Nearly four years have passed since the Mission was launched with the specific target of making 50,000 gram panchayats poverty free by 2019, but the goal posts have been moved to 2022.
• The ‘Mission Antyodaya’ survey in 2019-20 reports about infrastructural gaps that no State in India falls in the top score bracket of 90 to 100.

Measures:

• Converge resources: should converge resources from the various schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the National Rural Livelihood Mission, National Social Assistance Programme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, etc. and save administrative expenses.
• Financial power to sub- state level: The third tier of governance faces poor financial resources and mostly depends upon fund transfers from the state or center level. So, more financial sources should be provided for the effective implementation of the mission.
• There is a need to bring in synergies between different government programmes and schemes in terms of planning, processes, and implementation to achieve the goals.
• In schemes like Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI), only development of physical infrastructure cannot do the job instead use of infrastructure to impact skill training for self-employment is necessary.

Rural development is important not only for the majority of the population residing in rural areas, but also for the overall economic expansion of the nation. By addressing the challenges, the Mission Antyodaya can be a game changer in providing social justice and economic improvement of rural people.