Question : MPS AS EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF DRDA

(a) whether the Government have decided that the Members of Parliament will be the Ex-officio Members of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) and the District Councils presidents will be the Chairman of DRDA and they will be consulted in the finalisation of PMGSY in their respective States/areas particularly in North-Eastern States and Sikkim;

(b) if so, whether in many cases these meetings are called when the Session of Lok Sabha is in progress due to which the Members of Parliament cannot attend those meetings; and

(c) if so, the steps being taken by the Government to solve this problem?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SUBHASH MAHARIA)


(a) & (b) As per the existing Guidelines of the `District Rural Development Agency Administration` Scheme, Members of Parliament are Members of the Governing Body of the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) and the Chairperson of the Zilla Parishad is ex-officio Chairperson of the DRDA. Instructions have been issued to the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations that the proposals/suggestions of Members of Parliament in respect of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana should receive full consideration.


(c) The State Governments/Union Territory Administrations have been advised to hold Meetings of the DRDA Governing Bodies regularly and, as far as possible, to convene such Meetings at a time when Parliament would not be in Session, as also to ensure that the Members of Parliament are invited to attend such Meetings by giving sufficient advance notice of the same.