Independent authority to asses impact of government's flagship programmes

New Delhi: The government has decided to set up an independent authority to assess the impact of various public programmes and improve their effectiveness amid criticism of severe leakages in flagship schemes.

The union cabinet on Thursday approved the creation of an Independent Evaluation Office, having committed to such a body in the presidential address to the joint session of both Houses of Parliament in June, 2009.

On Tuesday finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had also sought detailed reports from the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) on whether government’s programmes are achieving their desired objectives and improving the quality of life of our people.

The independent evaluation office will be attached to the Planning Commission and funded by it as well. It will have a governing board chaired by the deputy chairman of the commission. It will have full functional autonomy to discharge its functions. The authority will advise the plan panel and the implementing agencies, helping them develop appropriate management systems.

The authority will draw from resources available from research organizations and its findings will be placed in the public domain.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs approved setting up of five more mega food parks in addition to 10 on going projects, involving a total govern-ment grant of Rs 250 crore.

The scheme which was approved by the government in September, 2008 envisages raising the processing of perishables in the country from the existing 6% to 20%, value addition from 20% to 35% and the share in global food trade from 1.5% to 3% by the year 2015.

The cabinet gave its nod to wind up the National Fund for Rural Development and transfer the residual funds to Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous body under the ministry of rural development.

The NFRD was set up in 1984 to mobilise funds from individuals, corporate and non-corporate bodies for undertaking rural development activities. The cabinet also approved additional Rs 71.28 crore for Bhopal gas leak victims in line with the the recommendations of the group of ministers.