Question : RURAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES

(a) whether complaints have been received by the Government from the elected representatives of the people including the Members of Parliament for not consulting them in taking up new projects under various rural development schemes including Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (pMGSY);

(b) if so, the details of such complaints received during the last three years and the current year and the action taken by the Government thereon;

(c) whether the Government proposes to assign greater responsibility to these elected representatives in execution of rural development projects;

(d) if so, the details thereof, Scheme-wise;

(e) whether any proposal is being considered by the Union Government regarding setting-up of independent monitoring and complaint redressal mechanism at district level under the supervision of respective Members of Parliament; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN ADITYA)

(a)&(b): The Ministry of Rural Development has been implementing a number of rural development and poverty alleviation programmes. The projects under these are formulated as per the programme guidelines. The Ministry has not received complaints from the elected representatives of the people including Members of Parliament specifically for not consulting them in taking up of new projects under rural development schemes including Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Y oj ana (PMGSY). The suggestions for construction of roads under PMGSY, which are received in the Ministry of Rural Development from the elected representatives of people including Members of Parliament, are sent to the concerned State Governments for examination and taking appropriate action as per the provisions of the programme guidelines.

(c)to(f): The Ministry of Rural Development has put in place a comprehensive system of monitoring of its programmes to achieve the programme objectives. The Monitoring tools are District-wise Data Management, Periodical Progress Reports/Retums, Area Officers Schemes, Utilisation Certificate/Audit Reports, review by Union Ministers, Performance Review Committee (PRC), National Level Monitors (NLM) and Vigilance and Monitoring Committees (V &MCs) at State and District Level. The Ministry constitutes State and District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committees (V &MCs) which provides a crucial role for the elected representatives of the people, Members of Parliament and State Legislature and Panchayati Raj Institutions to monitor the execution of rural development projects. With the constitution of the 15th Lok Sabha, the V&MCs constituted earlier stand dissolved and the process of constituting the new V &MCs has begun.

The Ministry has adopted five pronged strategy comprising
(i) creation of awareness about the schemes,
(ii) people`s partnership,
(iii) transparency,
(iv) accountability and
(v) strict vigilance and monitoring of rural development programmes to implement the schemes effectively.