Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 31 (ANI): A two-day long Annual Conference of Project Directors of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) discussed deliberations of all programmes concerning the weak areas, difficulties in their implementation and also identified other constraints.
Addressing the media, Union Rural Development Minister Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the modalities to address these constraints have been worked out. The success stories of programmes, which have made major impact, were also presented to learn lessons.
The occasion was attended by the Secretaries of Rural Development, Agriculture, Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises and Ministers of State of Rural Development Sh. Chandrasekhar Sahu and Smt. Suuryakaanta J. Patil.
Also, over 600 Project Directors of District Rural Development Agencies and Chief Executive Officers of Zila Parishads from across the country are participated in the Conference which provided them with a platform for interaction, sharing of experiences and information on Rural Development Programmes among the planners, policy-makers and implementers
Speaking at the conference, Dr. Singh said the Government is committed in addressing the issues of food, clothing, housing, health and education in a time-bound manner through family-centered programmes. The effort has to be supplemented by DRDA’’s at grass root level. A five-point formula, of full awareness, strict vigilance, monitoring, accountability and transparency is a must in respect of all schemes, and Project Directors of DRDA’’s being “area commanders”, must promote all of these.
Supporting the views of the Minister for Rural Development, the Secretary, Rural Development Dr. Rita Sharma stated that two major challenges before us are poverty eradication and climate change.
She said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is a crucial link to combat rural poverty. It is also a potential instrument to deal with climate change.
She informed that NREGA created a large number of green jobs in 2007-08.
The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing targeted anti-poverty programmes which aim at bridging the rural-urban divide, guaranteeing wage employment and ensuring food security, providing for economic upliftment by self employment, creating rural infrastructure, providing for dignified living through rural housing, drinking water and sanitation schemes and restoring lost or depleted productivity of the land.
These programmes have been rationalized, restructured and revamped from time to time with a view to enhancing their efficacy and impact. (ANI)