We must get current report on implementation of Rural Development programmes from the States and all reports should be made available in public domain so that every one has knowledge about the progress of different schemes, said Rural Development Minister, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in a meeting of the State Nodal Officers in New Delhi today.
The Rural Development Minister advised the State representatives that immediate action should be taken to ensure that all important information and Monthly Performance Reports (MPRs), compiled by the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA), are sent through electronic medium since the Government has been emphasizing on e-governance for greater transparency and accountability. He informed that he has found that States are generally lagging behind in doing on-line reporting and has already addressed letters in this regard to all the Chief Ministers for instructing the DRDAs to implement on-line reporting of the progress of all the Rural Development programmes. Dr. Singh also stressed the need for holding the meetings of State and District Vigilance & Monitoring Committees (V&MC) as per schedule and asked the State Nodal Officers to inform categorically the reasons for not holding such meetings.
Dr. Subhash Pani, Secretary, Rural Development, in his address informed the State Nodal Officers that he will take up the matter with the State Chief Secretaries to ensure computer connectivity at least up to Block level.
All Districts of Haryana and Kerala are doing timely on-line reporting of MPRs for important Rural Development programmes. Nagaland, Sikkim, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep are not doing any on-line reporting. Only 7 States/UTs have organized State level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings and 331 Districts Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee Meetings have been organized.
The meeting took up the issue pertaining to finalisation of BPL Census 2002. The States have been advised to prepare permanent wait lists of BPL families for IAY assistance and display them on permanent board at Gram Panchayat building etc. and to give assistance on the basis of these lists. The States of Chhatisgarh and Orissa have already prepared and displayed the permanent wait list.
State level Officers have also been advised to verify 2 percent of the assets created under various programmes of the Ministry, 10 percent of the assets by District level officials and 100 percent of the assets by Block level officers and inform the Ministry the procedure and experience in verification of such assets at various levels.
The meeting was also addressed by Advisor (Statistics) and Joint Secretaries looking after NREGA, SGRY, SGSY, IAY, PMGSY, Area Development and Joint Secretary (WD) of the Ministry.
AD/MLD/JA