From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 4:37 PM
Subject: Features for release..........1,2,3
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
Special Service and Features POSTS
Swift, Safe and Sure: "Project Arrow" of The India Post
K. Parameswaran*
An arrow, well aimed, will reach its intended destination straight, safe and sure! Similarly, the "Project Arrow", being conceptualized and implemented by the Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Telecommunications, aims to make postal services sharp, straight and sure. The project will see to it that the customers will directly feel the difference in the quality of postal services.
Ariyaloor was the first post office in Tamilnadu to have implemented "Project Arrow". It was inaugurated in August 2008 by Shri D Raja, Minister of State for Telecommunications.
Project Arrow is an attempt at the integrated modernization of postal services. It aims at modernizing the look, feel and efficiency of the services rendered by the post office. The project also aims at making the services of the postal department as straight, safe and sure as that of a well aimed arrow!
For this purpose, the project has been divided into two sections. Under one section branding of services, use of modern information technology devices, integration of human resources and development of infrastructure is being achieved. This section basically is an attempt at improving the look and feel of the service.
The second aspect of Project arrow is aimed at improving all the core areas of the postal services. Thus, the aim is to modernize and make more effective services like mail, savings bank operations, improving quantum and quality of remittances and developing a better quality of counter services and customer services.
As a part of the project, most post offices including Ariyaloor, which have been included in the first phase of the project, are in the process of completing basic documentation about the post office, its service area, customers, banking particulars etc. Development of new and better infrastructures like buildings, furniture etc also comes under this section. Training of staff and development of adequate hardware are the other principal components of Project Arrow.
In the initial, pilot phase of Project Arrow, fifty post offices have been selected. In the second phase 450 post offices will be covered. The final phase is intended to modernize 4500 post offices, covering all the parts of the country. The aim is to cover 4500 post offices under the project within the next two years. In the Southern Region, 33 post offices have been covered so far. Nineteen more post offices have been identified for inclusion in the project.
It is also to be noted that the Project Arrow is a green initiative. The project aims to minimize the use of paper, thus help in preserving trees and green cover, by making all internal correspondence based on email alone.
Another important aspect of Project Arrow is that it allows for independent assessment of the quality of the program. For this purpose, an independent rating agency is being authorized to rate the services of the Project Arrow using a five star rating formula. Best achievers under the program will be rewarded suitably and their services will be recognized.
The final aim of Project arrow is to become a working model for integration of services of the post office. The project will see to it that the customer will feel the difference! (PIB Features)
*Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Madurai
rts/vn/ss-167/sf-167/18.10.2010/dk/kol/16:21 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
Special Service and Features
Biodiversity and its Value
Smt Kalpana Palkhiwala*
Biological diversity, encompasses all life forms on earth. Biodiversity maintains the ecological balance and continues evolutionary processes. The very survival of humankind depends on these core ecological functions. The indirect ecosystem services provided through biodiversity include: photosynthesis, pollination, transpiration, maintaining the balance of atmospheric gases, maintaining hydrological cycles, chemical cycling, nutrient cycling, pest control, etc. Biodiversity also has aesthetic and recreational value. Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is therefore fundamental to ecologically sustainable development. In fact the very survival of humankind depends upon biological diversity.
Biodiversity manifests itself at three levels: species diversity which refers to the numbers and kinds of living organisms, genetic diversity which refers to the genetic variation within a population of species, and ecosystem diversity which is the variety of habitats, biological communities and ecological processes that occur in the biosphere.
Under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act 2002, so far State Biodiversity Boards have been constituted in twenty two States, namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Several steps have been taken to revitalise the afforestation Programmes implemented in various states. These include approval of 796 projects of Forest Development Agencies covering an area of 1.65 million hectares under the National Afforestation Programme. Two new Eco-Task Force (ETF) battalions for eco-restoration of degraded areas in Assam have been operationalised in addition to supporting the existing four ETF battalions in the country. Mooting of a new scheme for afforestation involving Panchayati Raj Institution, various afforestation schemes of the State Governments, tree planting activities under the Central Government, notably National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Greening of six million hectares of degraded forests under the National Action Plan on Climate Change etc. are also strengthening biodiversity. Other steps include introduction of a new state plan scheme during 2009-10 on 'Additional Central Assistance for Accelerated Programme of Restoration and Regeneration of Forest Cover' and implementation of many externally-aided projects on afforestation of degraded forests in a number of states.
Richness of Biodiversity in India
India is one of the identified mega biodiversity or biodiversity rich countries of the world. With only 2.4% of the land area, India already accounts for 7-8% of the recorded species of the world. Over 45,968 species of plants and 91,364 species of animals have been recorded so far. The wide variety in physical features and climatic situations have resulted in a diversity of ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine (mangroves and coral reefs), deserts. Among these, the forest ecosystem in particular exhibits tremendous variability ranging from temperate alpine to tropical wet evergreen forests. There are 16 major forest types in India. India is also one of the 8 primary centres of crop diversity, and has several wild varieties of crop of rice, maize, millets, barley and brinjals. Many breeds of domesticated animals (buffaloes, cattle, sheep, goat, camel, horses, donkeys, etc.) are also found in the country.
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), one of the key agreements adopted during the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, is the first comprehensive global agreement which addresses all aspects relating to biodiversity. The CBD has near universal membership with 193 countries as its Parties. India is a Party to the CBD. The Convention, while reaffirming sovereign rights of nations over their biological resources, has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.
Operationlizing the access and benefit sharing provisions of the CBD has been of special interest to countries such as India which is rich in biological resources as well as associated traditional knowledge.
Major Programmes for Conserving Biodiversity
India has a long history of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Strategies and plans for conservation and sustainable use of bio-resources are ingrained in Indian ethos and ways of life. Environment protection is enshrined in our Constitution {Articles 48 A and 51 A (g)}. Over a period of time, a stable organizational structure has been developed for environment protection. Numerous and wide ranging policies, programmes and projects are in place which directly or indirectly serve to protect, conserve and regulate sustainable use of the biological resources of the country. These include:
• Legal and policy regime {e.g. Forest (Conservation) Act, Wildlife (Protection) Act, Biological Diversity Act, National Forest Policy, National Wildlife Action Plan, National Forestry Action Programme, National Environment Policy}.
• Survey and inventorisation of floral and faunal resources.
• In-situ conservation through establishment of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, etc.
• Conservation of ecologically fragile areas such as mangrove, wetlands, coral reefs.
• Ex-situ conservation through setting up of botanic gardens, zoos, gene banks, etc.
• After ratification of CBD in 1994, the Ministry of Environment & Forests initiated the development of legislation on biological diversity. The Biological Diversity Act was enacted in 2002 and Rules notified in 2004, and further a policy and action strategy on biodiversity were also developed.
In pursuance to Article 6 of the CBD, India within five years of ratifying the Convention, had developed a national policy and Macro level Action Strategy on Biodiversity in 1999. Thereafter, an externally aided project on National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was also implemented in the country during 2000-2004, adopting a highly participatory process involving various stakeholders. After approval of the National Environment Policy (NEP) in 2006, preparation of National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) was taken up by revising and updating the document prepared in 1999, and by using the final technical report of NBSAP project. The NBAP thus prepared was approved by the Cabinet on 6th November. (PIB Features)
*Deputy Director (M & C), Press Information Bureau, New Delhi.
rts/vn/ss-166/sf-166/15.10.2010/dk/kol/16:22 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
Ministry of Rural Development
Bridging Urban-Rural Divide - Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)
Atul Kr. Tiwari*
Real India exists in villages, said the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. However despite all the efforts even after six decades of Independence, one of the striking aspects of the country has been the vast difference in terms of facilities in the urban and rural areas. In order to bridge the gap between urban India & rural Bharat yet another effort is being made by the Ministry Of Rural Development in the form of a renovated Provision Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) scheme.
PURA is a Central Sector scheme re-launched by Ministry of Rural Development during the remaining period of the XI Plan with support from Department of Economic Affairs and the technical assistance of Asian Development Bank. The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing the PURA scheme under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework between Gram Panchayat(s) and private sector partners with active support of the State Governments.
The scheme envisages twinning of rural infrastructure development and management with economic re-generation activities and is the first attempt at delivering a basket of infrastructure and amenities through PPP in the rural areas. It is an effort to provide a different framework for the implementation of rural infrastructure development schemes and harness private sector efficiencies in the management of assets and delivery of services. This would perhaps be the first such attempt at PPP in integrated rural infrastructure development and management in the world.
The primary objectives of the scheme are the provision of livelihood opportunities and urban amenities in rural areas to bridge the rural – urban divide. Holistic and accelerated development of compact areas revolve around a potential growth centre in a Gram Panchayat (or a group of Gram Panchayats) through Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for providing livelihood opportunities and urban amenities to improve the quality of life in rural areas.
The objectives of PURA are proposed to be achieved under the framework of Public Private Partnership between Gram Panchayats and private sector partner with active State Government support. Core funding shall be sourced from the Central Sector scheme of PURA and complemented by additional support through convergence of different Central Government schemes. The private sector shall also bring into the project its share of investment besides operational expertise. The scheme would be implemented and managed by the private sector on considerations of economic viability but designed in a manner whereby it is fully aligned with the overall objective of rural development.
Amenities to be provided under MoRD Schemes are Water and Sewerage Construction and maintenance of Village Streets;Drainage; Solid Waste Management; Skill Development; Development of Economic Activities.
Similarly amenities to be provided under Non-MoRD Schemes are Village Street Lighting; Telecom; Electricity, etc. and
Add-on Projects (Revenue earning, people centric projects) are Village linked tourism; Integrated Rural Hub; Rural Market; Agri – Common Services Centre, Warehousing, etc. and any other rural-economy based project.
It is expected that a scheme like PURA wherein all related schemes for rural infrastructure are being converged for a synchronized delivery for a period of 10 years in project mode shall maximize socio-economic impact. Besides, minimum development obligations by the private developer will enable improved quality of service delivery in the Panchayat area.
In the pilot phase, the private developer is given flexibility to identify and select the Gram Panchayat for undertaking PURA projects based on their familiarity with the area or past experience of working at the grassroots level. However, as the consent of the concerned Panchayats and no objection from the state governments is mandatory, the selection would reflect the concurrence of all the stakeholders.
Funding for projects under PURA scheme would come from four sources: MoRD schemes, non-MoRD schemes, private financing and Capital Grant under PURA. Each individual PURA project cost and the eligible capital grant (subject to a maximum of 35% of project cost) shall be determined on the basis of a Concept Plan and Detailed Project Report that would be appraised and approved by an inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee for the purpose. It is expected that the additional revenue generating activities and the capital grant support shall successfully enable a viable PPP in the scheme. Mapping of different risks along with mitigation measures has been attempted. Along with emphasis upon rural development priorities, there shall be an effort to dovetail developers' perspective on an economically viable project. The way project design has been done, the private developer should make requisite profit during the project life cycle of 10 years.
Through the implementation of proposed pilot projects, the unique features of this scheme would be tested on the ground and provide lessons for upscaling in future. Besides, the entire process shall help strengthen the institutional ability of a Gram Panchayat to undertake PPP and help pilot-test the viability of PPPs in rural infrastructure development. However, in terms of funding and management of PURA projects across all the 2,50,000 Panchayats in the country is concerned, it is up-scalable and financially affordable for the Government over a period of 5-10 years.
In this backdrop the exercise has been undertaken by the Ministry of Rural Development to find private sector partners in progress in rural areas who can contribute to rural infrastructure development. The selection has been done through an open competitive technical bidding process with rigorous qualification and evaluation criteria. As these are pilot projects, therefore, there has been no financial bidding. In the pilot projects the bidders have been evaluated on their technical capability and assigned scores as per pre-approved evaluation methodology. The nine companies that have been finally short-listed are in the area of infrastructure development with strong rural and community mobilization experience either directly or through their consortium partners.
PURA was envisaged by former President of India Dr. A.P.J.Kalam as a self-sustainable and viable model of service delivery in rural areas to be managed through an implementation framework between local people, public authorities and the private sector. The scheme was re-configured after extensive consultation and research process with State Governments, private sector and multi-lateral development organizations like ADB. It was initiated as a pilot in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode early this year when the Expression of Interest (EOI) evoked unprecedented response from the private sector for this untested and complex scheme, perhaps the first of its kind in the world. Ministry of Rural Development intended to launch about 8-10 pilots across the country. Against this number, ninety five private entities expressed interest and these included some of the largest Indian corporate entities such as the IDFC, Tata Power, Reliance Industries, IL&FS, SREI Infrastructure etc.
The scheme is all set to herald a paradigm shift in rural infrastructure development with the enthusiastic response of from the Private Sector. PURA represents twinning of rural infrastructure development with economic re-generation activities. This is the first ever attempt at delivering infrastructure and amenities through Private Public Partnership in the rural areas. Involvement of the private sector, for the first time, in creation and management of amenities through a partnership with Gram Panchayats is an effort to provide a completely different framework for the implementation of rural infrastructure development schemes and harness private sector efficiencies in the management of assets and delivery of services. (PIB Features)
*Director ( M & C), Press Information Bureau, New Delhi
rts/vn/ss-165/sf-165/11.10.2010/dk/kol/16:23 hrs.
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment