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As the Budget day nears, all eyes will be on the UPA Government's expenditure this fiscal. And the Government's flagship social-sector schemes, which account for most of its spending, present a mixed bag on the delivery front.
In its Budget briefs, the Centre for Policy Research's Accountability Initiative has analysed the efficacy and coverage of three schemes: the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) and the Total Sanitation Campaign.
MGNREGs: A mixed picture
In 2010-11, the Government spent 75 per cent of its MGNREGS funds (Rs 40,000 crore), providing 257 crore person-days of work across the country.
But there are State-wise variations in utilisation of these funds and the work generated.
For instance, Rajasthan spent 56 per cent of the funds, but employment in the State dipped to 62 person-days in 2010-11 against 69 person-days in 2009-10.
Bihar spent a much higher 84 per cent of the funds, but the jobs generated, though higher than last year, were lower than Rajasthan at 34 person-days against 28 over the same period.
Raising issues of targeting, the figures show that jobs generated were low (13 per cent) in Uttar Pradesh with a high below-poverty-line (BPL) population (20 per cent), and high (23 per cent) in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with low BPL population ((8 per cent).
NRHM: Manpower Deficit
By income category, MGNREGS worked better for middle-income households (Rs 1,058 a month) with 42 per cent coverage, compared with 40 per cent coverage of low-income households (Rs 657 a month).
Spending under the NRHM improved, with 100 per cent of fund utilisation in 2010-11.
The coverage was higher in urban areas at 67 per cent compared with rural areas at 59 per cent, with State-level variations.
A human-resource deficit plagues the health sector. In Madhya Pradesh, 53 per cent of primary health centres have a shortage of doctors and 23 per cent in Uttar Pradesh.
In March 2010, there was a 65 per cent shortfall of specialists in community health centres.
TOTAL SANITATION: A Far Cry
The good news is that institutional deliveries have risen to 79 per cent in 2010-11 from 57 per cent in 2006-07.
In a country where 27 per cent of rural households do not have toilets, the Total Sanitation Campaign in 2011-12 accounts for a mere 0.02 per cent of India's GDP.
Yet again, the record is mixed and there is no correlation between expenditure incurred by States and sanitation coverage. Sikkim and Kerala are the best performers.
Kerala spent 93 per cent of its budget and met the target of universal coverage for BPL households.
But Himachal Pradesh achieved the same target by spending only 36 per cent of its budget.
Punjab and Karnataka also achieved full coverage but spent only 41 and 60 per cent of their approved funds, respectively.
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh spent about 70 per cent of their approved funds and achieved over 90 per cent of their physical targets.
The scheme, slated to get higher allocation in this year's Budget, is aimed at ending the practice of open defecation.
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