Key information:
- Launched on : 2011.
- Succeed on : 2016.
- Launched at : Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
- Sub scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana : National Rural Livelihoods Mission .
- Launched by : The Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Ram Kripal Yadav.
Objective:
It intends to give an alternative source of sustenance to members of Self Help Groups by helping them to run public transport services in backward rural areas.
Introduction:
- The Government of India has determined to start a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as a part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana under National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
- The basic frame of Aajeevika Gramin Express Yojana was presented in a conference of State Transport Ministers of 13 States held in June 2016 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh and all the Transport Ministers had shown their recognition of this leadership.
- The Community Investment Fund (CIF) contributed to Community Based Organization (CBOs) under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana under National Rural Livelihoods Mission will be used to support the self-help group members in this new earning leadership.
- The Self Help Groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana under National Rural Livelihoods Mission will run road transportation services in backward regions.
- This will help to give secure, affordable and area controlled rural transportation service to join rural areas with essential services and facilities like a way to markets, education and health for the whole economic growth and expansion of backward rural regions.
- This will also contribute an additional avenue of earning for self-help groups.
- The sections will be selected by State government from among the sections where National Rural Livelihoods Mission is being performed intensively and where experienced CBOs are already functioning.
- Backwardness, lack of transportation links and sustainability of service would be the guiding factors in the selection of Blocks and routes.
- The State Rural Livelihood Missions will do a probability study and traffic survey in the selected sections to find the routes, the number and the capacity of vehicles which can be run on a sustainable basis.
- The research will be conducted by technically sound organizations which have expertise in transportation network planning.
- The SRLMs will coordinate with State Transport Department for the issue of a vehicle permit.
- The SHG member who operates the vehicle will ensure that all the required legal and statutory provision like valid permit, road tax permit, valid insurance policy etc. are satisfied.
- All vehicles which run under the yojana have a distinguished colour code and carry Aajeevika Gramin Express Yojana branding to show their identity and avoid alteration to other tracks.
- The State Rural Livelihood Mission will organize capacity building for their staff members at State, District and section level to operate the yojana.
- The members of the CBO and the SHG member will also be given sufficient training in the Rural Self Employment Training Institutes and other partner groups.
Highlights of Aajeevika Gramin Express Yojana
- The beneficiary self-help member will be given with an interest-free loan by the CBO from its Community Investment Fund up to Rs.6.50 lakh for purchase of the vehicle.
- An alternative, CBO will buy the vehicle and lease it to an SHG member to run the vehicle and pay lease rent to the CBO
- This yojana will be originally executed in 250 Sections in the nation on a pilot basis with each section granted up to 6 vehicles to run the transportation facility.
- During the prevailing year implementation of the Yojana has been so far established for 52 Blocks in 8 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal with a cumulative provision of Rs.16.06 Crore out of which the central government of India will contribute Rs.10.16 Crore. The remaining balance fund would be given by the particular States.
- The choice of vehicle could be either e-riksha, 3 wheeler or 4 wheeler within a total cost of Rs.6.50 lakh.
