The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned a special package worth Rs 520 crore in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh for a period of five years till FY24, and has ensured funding of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) on a demand-driven basis without linking allocation with poverty ratio during this extended period.
This will ensure sufficient funds under the Mission, as per the need to the Union Territories. This is based on the outcomes of the evaluation pointing to potential of the Mission to improve quality of life of rural households and women's empowerment and given the changed circumstances in the Union Territories.
The DAY-NRLM is a centrally sponsored programme that aims at eliminating rural poverty through promotion of multiple livelihoods for rural poor households across the country.
DAY-NRLM has been implemented by the Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKSRLM) as Umeed programme.
As per the current funds allocation procedure under DAY-NRLM based on inter-se poverty allocations among states, the share of Jammu & Kashmir was less than one percent of the annual allocation under DAY-NRLM.
In order to ensure sufficient funding support under the Mission for Jammu & Kashmir and for adequate coverage of rural population, the Centre had approved a special package under DAY-NRLM for Jammu & Kashmir to cover all rural vulnerable households in the state (estimated at two-thirds of the total number of rural households) within a definite time frame from FY14 to FY18.
The Cabinet also approved allocation of funds to the state under DAY-NRLM on a need basis for implementation of the special package without linking it with poverty ratio.
Originally the approved financial outlay for the proposal was Rs 755.32 crore, with Central share Rs 679.78 crore for five-year period.
Due to various reasons the special package as approved in May 2013, and subsequently extended by a year to up to 2018-19, could not be fully implemented.
A detailed third-party evaluation of the achievements of the programme in Jammu & Kashmir and assessment of the preparedness of the state mission to implement the special package further was conducted by the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), Anand, Gujarat, in 2019.