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An Inter-active Conference with the Members of Parliament on the Rural Development Programmes is being organized by the Ministry of Rural Development for implementation in the rural areas in New Delhi from December 6, 2004. The Conference will be in six sessions with the participation of MPs – both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – from group of States in each Session. The Details of the Inter-active Sessions are:
S.No.
Dates
States
1.
6.12.04
Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand
2.
8.12.04
West Bengal, North Eastern States and Sikkim
3.
14.12.04
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and A&N Islands
4.
16.12.04
Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Daman & Due and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
5.
20.12.04
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
6.
22.12.04
Rajasthan, J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttaranchal and Delhi.
The programme content includes a thematic overview of the programmes by the Minister of Rural Development followed by detailed presentation on development programmes covering Wage Employment, Self-Employment, Rural Housing, Area Development Programmes and arrangement of basic amenities of Rural Connectivity, safe Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The Interactive Conference would be an effective arrangement for greater awareness on the implementation activities which can lend support for an effective monitoring arrangement. The budgetary allocation for the rural development programmes has been progressively increasing and in the Tenth Five Year Plan, the allocation of funds for the Rural Development Ministry has been Rs. 76,774 crores. The budgetary allocation for Annual Plan 2004-05 is of the other order Rs. 16,000 crores. It is expected that during the year another Rs. 2300 crores will be provided additionally, apart from the payment for foodgrains.
The Interactive Conference with Members of Parliament is expected to focus attention on the vigilance and monitoring mechanism to ensure quality and content in implementation of the programmes in relation to the guidelines. The Vigilance and Monitoring (V&M) Committee headed by Members of Parliament for effective monitoring of the programmes being implemented in the respective districts have since been reconstituted. The major objective of the V&M Committee is to provide a crucial role for the MPs and elected representatives of the people in the State Legislature and the Panchayati Raj Institutes (PRIs) in the implementation of programmes sponsored by the Ministry of Rural Development in the most effective manner and within the given time-frame, as a result of which the public funds are put to optimum use and the benefits of the programmes would follow to the rural people in full measure.
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