Last week, the government asked all Deputy Commissioners to convene District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHA) meetings regularly as per guidelines notified by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
As per the guidelines, DISHA meetings should be held at least once in every quarter in accordance with guidelines—in the months of April, July, October and February of each year.
As pointed by the administration, DISHA Committees at the State/ Union Territory and District Levels are important instrument and platform for efficiently monitoring the implementation of various Central Government Programmes and Schemes aimed at a common goal for accelerated development through convergence and ensuring that the benefits do reach the poor in a time bound manner.
The schemes and programmes include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, DeenDayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Pradhan MantriGraminAwasYojana (PMAY), National Rurban Mission (NruM), Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) – SBM (G), National Rural Drinking Water Program – NRDWP, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayee Yojana – Integrated Watershed Mgmt Program –PMKSY –IWMP, Digital India Land Record Modernisation program: DILRMP, Integrated Power Dev Scheme – IPDS and several others.
The non-holding of the DISHA meetings essentially would mean to undermine the need for coordination between the executive and the various Institutions including Panchayati Raj and other allied departments.
Being an important step towards good governance, the government has specifically pointed out that it was imperative that the meetings of the DISHA Committees are held regularly in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Rural Development, Government of India, where inter-alia detailed discussions are held on the implementation of development programmes by involving all stakeholders.
It is imperative to note that DISHA meetings have been envisaged to ensure better coordination among all the elected representatives in Parliament, State Legislatures and Local Governments (Panchayati Raj Institutions/Municipal Bodies) for efficient and time-bound development.
Given the importance, all the Deputy Commissioners need to convene DISHA meetings regularly as per the guidelines. Also officers and officials at the highest level, both in the Government of India and the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, must ensure that meetings take place to achieve the endeavor behind them.
Implementation of various schemes in a time bound manner needs to be ensured for overall development of all districts.
