core sector communique

Unit of Planning for Implementation of Multi-Sectoral Development Programme during the 12th Plan

The Working Group on ‘Empowerment of Minorities’ constituted by the Planning Commission for the formulation of 12th Five Year Plan, has suggested that the unit of planning should be block having 25% minority population and fulfilling the backwardness criteria for implementation of Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) during the 12th Plan. In case of six States/UTs where a minority community is in majority, a lower cut off of 15% of minority population, other than that of minority community in majority in that State/UT, has been suggested. If for any reason (say lack of data), this could not be possible, then population criterion to identify Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) should be brought down from 25% to 15%. In case of six States where a minority community is in majority, a lower cut off of 7.5% of minority population, other than that of minority community in majority in that State/UT, has been suggested. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Vincent H. Pala, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, said that the number of the districts/blocks will be identified only after the finalization of the criteria for identification of unit area of implementation. The Minister informed the House that presently there are 90 minority concentration districts (MCDs) in the country identified on the basis of substantial minority population and backwardness parameters. The minority population parameters are as follows: (i) Districts with a ‘substantial minority population’ of at least 25% of the total population. (ii) Districts having a large absolute minority population exceeding 5 lakh and the percentage of minority population exceeding 20% but less than 25%. (iii) In the six States/UTs, where a minority community is in majority, districts having 15% of minority population, other than that of the minority community in majority in that State/UT. Shri Pala said that the backwardness norms adopted for identification of MCDs are : (A) Religion-specific socio-economic indicators at the district level: (i) literacy rate; (ii) female literacy rate; (iii) work participation rate; and (iv) female work participation rate; and (B) Basic amenities indicators at the district level : (i) percentage of households with pucca walls; (ii) percentage of household with safe drinking water; (iii)percentage of household with electricity; and (iv)percentage of households with water closet latrines.