Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Revised guidelines for Adarana

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 30. The State Government has announced revised guidelines for implementing Adarana scheme for Backward Classes with a readoption of "individual-benefit'' concept which was discarded in all the welfare schemes in preference to the present group approach.

The modified guidelines which were announced at a press conference here on Thursday by the Minister for Backward Classes, N. Narasimha Rao, provide for parallel implementation of both "individual'' and "group'' concepts with the subsidy benefit to be allowed to a maximum of 50 per cent to the individual artisans of the first category while it would be from a minimum of 50 per cent for those coming under the second category--groups.

The scheme with new guidelines is being relaunched from June 1 when officials commence the exercise to identify beneficiares at grama sabhas synchronising with the 17th round of the Janmabhoomi.

A total of Rs 145 crores has been spent so far on Adarana which was launched in 1998, benefiting five lakh beneficiaries with 5.25 lakh tools purchased and given to them. The Minister who was accompanied by the Joint Secretary for Backward Classes, J. Sandhyarani, the Commissioner of BC Welfare, P. Sundar Kumar, and the MD for BC Finance Corporation, Vijay Kumar, explained that they had readopted individual concept, considering the interest taken by indviduals in general to reap the benefit for themselves out of their skills. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, insisted on "group'' concept at all costs but they had prevailed upon him to accept the individual concept, showing him the findings of independent surveys.

Mr Narasimah Rao said for the present Rs 40 crores was available for the scheme with Rs 25 crores coming from this year's budget and Rs 15 crores out of the last year's balance. They would complete identification of beneficiaries by June-end and ground the scheme from July. Other important modifications are such that any three individual artistans, and not five, can form a "group'' with the linkage among them being professional activity alone and not sub-caste. For this year, the assistance will be limited to artisans among the BCs but later depending on the circumstances, it will be extended to non-artisans to the extent of 30 per cent. The changed guidelines offer three categories of schemes based on the unit cost both for individuals and groups with the unit cost of the first category going upto Rs 25,000, that of the second type from Rs 25,001 to Rs 50,000 and that of the third from Rs 50,001 to Rs 1 lakh. While the subsidy allowed to all the three categories is 35 per cent of the unit cost, in the case of individual-benefit scheme, it has been restricted to a maximum of this percentage or Rs 25,000, whichever is less.

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