16 July:A meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Rural Development was held in National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) in Hyderabad today. Presided over by the Minister of Rural Development Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, the meeting reviewed the research, training and consultancy performance of the NIRD and felt that the institute is performing a significant role in building the capacities of functionaries associated with the rural development in the country.
However the members raised various points which will further enhance the participation of the Institute in successful implementation of various flagship programmes of the ministry of rural development. Suggestions of the members of the Committee included – to earmark of certain lean period in which NREGA works could be carried out so that the normal agricultural work does not suffer; to fully achieve the loaning targets of rural banks and ease out procedural difficulties in obtaining loans; region specific implementation of centrally sponsored schemes; to carry out a study on Tribal migration, stringent monitoring of working of NGOs; to carry out impact assessment of training imparted to the rural development officials at the NIRD. The Minister assured for a positive consideration of suggestions.
Inaugurating the meeting Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that it was first time that the ministry’s consultative committee is meeting in NIRD and discussing about it, which is an important centre of Rural Development and assists the Ministry in policy formulation, research, training and consultancy about various rural development programmes. The institute helps in examining and analyzing the factors contributing to the improvement of economic well being of people in rural areas and facilitate the rural development efforts with particular emphasis on rural poor by improving knowledge, skills and attitude of rural development officials, trainers, farmers and NGOs by organizing trainings, workshops and seminars, the minister said. The Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Chandrasekhara Sahu, Rural Development Secretary Ms. Rita Sharma, honourable Members of Parliament who are the members of the Committee and senior officials of Ministry of Rural Development and NIRD and the Andhra Pradesh State Rural Development Minister Dr. G. Chinna Reddy also attended the meeting.
The meeting was attended by the following Members of Parliament:
Shri Arun Kumar Vundavalli; Shri Madhusudan Devnam Mistry; Shri Sugrib Singh; Shri Sardar Sukhdev Singh Libra; Shri Nand Kishore Yadav ; Ms. Jyotirmoyee Sikdar; Smt CS Sujata; Shri A. Ravichandran Sippiparai; Shri Shailendra Kumar; Shri A.K. Moorthy; Shri Bhupendrasinh Solanki; Shri Pushpdan Shambhudan Gadhavi; Shri Anant Gangaram Geete; Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot; Shri Dr. Ram Lakhan Singh and Shri Penumathi Madhu.