Local monitoring missing in rural development projects -Governance Now

Local monitoring missing in rural development projects

State and district-level vigilance and monitoring committees not meeting since formation

Brajesh Kumar | March 24, 2010

State and district vigilance and monitoring committees, formed by the rural development ministry in August last year to keep a watch on the effective implementation of all the flagship schemes of the ministry have not been meeting since their formation.

Members of parliament (MPs), who are the nominated chairmen of these committees, have brought this to the notice of the rural development minister CP Joshi.

“The issues was raised in the performance review committee meeting held by the ministry last week and the rural development minister directed the states to hold these meetings quarterly, failing which funds released to the districts could be withheld ,” said an official in the rural development ministry.

The RD ministry formed these committees with a view to ensure the quality of expenditure, particularly, in the context of large public funds being spent under all the programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development.

While the state vigilance and monitoring committee is headed by the state rural development minister, the district vigilance and monitoring committee is headed by the area MP. The district magistrates are the members of the district vigilance monitoring committee.

These Committees are expected to keep a watch on the implementation of the programmes as per the prescribed procedures and Guidelines.

The objectives include providing a crucial role for the MPs and elected representatives of the people in state legislatures and panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) in the implementation of the Rural Development programmes and to put in place a mechanism to monitor the execution of the schemes in the most effective manner and within the given time frame so that public funds are put to optimal use and programme benefits flow to the rural poor in full measure.

These Committees are also to effectively liaise and coordinate with the ministry of rural development and state governments.

The Ministry can withhold releases to districts, which do not hold regular meetings of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees.

Comments

Other News

Rubio denies US foreknowledge of Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said he was unfamiliar with the Wall Street Journal report suggesting Elon Musk had decided to throttle Starlink services in Ukraine, but rejected claims that Washington had ordered the restrictions to pressure Kyiv. “There was no

Can AI change India’s breast cancer story?

Breast cancer has become a public-health challenge in India. The greatest opportunity is to find cancers earlier. Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening a new era in breast cancer detection. AI systems can analyse mammograms and other breast-imaging studies, identify subtle abnormalities and assist radi

Farm stability in the time of climate change

Indian agriculture is experiencing significant climate volatility, while the world economy seems to be in a highly volatile situation. Economic indices from various countries show that they need to recalibrate their strategies to withstand economic headwinds. In such a challenging situation, a country li

El Niño threatens India’s Rabi crops

India’s southwest monsoon ended with a 13% rainfall deficit in 2026, its weakest performance in a decade, raising concerns over agricultural production, water security and the upcoming rabi season. With El Niño expected to persist into early 2027, experts warn that declining soil moisture, dep

Regulating the data advantage: India’s new e-Commerce framework

For over a decade, India’s e-commerce story has rested on a simple premise: platforms connect buyers and sellers, while data fuels efficiency, personalisation, and scale. However, as the market matured, its structure has revealed a growing imbalance. E-commerce platforms, especially marketplace ent

Changing weather patterns, climate change responsible for Nepal floods

The interaction between active Western Disturbances, increased atmospheric moisture and the region’s complex topography aswell as global warming are important factors behind intense rainfall in the Himalayas, leading to flash floods in Nepal, according to meteorologists. Nepal