Involve people's representative in rural development programme

New Delhi, Sep 23 (UNI) Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today asked all the States to ensure active involvement of the people's representatives in the rural development programmes.

Addressing the 19th meeting of State Nodal Officers to review the performance of Centrally-sponsored Rural Development Programmes here, the Minister laid emphasis on convening of Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings on a regular basis.

Expressing satisfaction over the performance of the States till August this year, the Minister underlined the need of paying extra attention on the rural development schemes in Northeastern States as these areas are of strategic importance.

Mr Singh reiterated on the entire wage payment under NREGA through Bank/Post Offices accounts from October 1 and said any payment other than this mode is liable to be considered as illegal.

He also laid stress on the online reporting of data's and asked the States to comply with the instructions issued in this regard.

The Minister also emphasised on strengthening of grievance redressal system at all levels.

He said a national helpline was operationalised. Setting up a Grievance Redressal System, State&District-level helpline was also undertaken. Rules on Transparency, Public Accountability, Social Audit and Grievance Redressal have been formulated and forwarded to the Ministry of Law for vetting. He said the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings must also be regularly held at District, Block&GP-level.

''Village-level VMC must be activated and trained to monitor the performance at the field level,'' he said.

Mr Singh said accountability should be fixed upon District Programme Coordinator at district-level and Programme Officer at block-level. Hundred per cent work inspection at the Block-level, ten per cent at the District-level and two per cent work at the State-level were being complied with. By September 2008, all live muster rolls will be online and fund flow statement should be updated for FY 08-09 through the MIS Financial Module.

Mr Singh also took stock of the status of availability of MPRs/QPRs under major Rural Development programmes like the NREGA, SGSY, IAY and PMGSY as well as the Rural Water Supply under ARWSP, the sanitation activities under TSC and the programmes devised for the drought prone areas and the arid/semi arid areas of the country.

UNI AJ LPB Mir CS1917