Department of Rural Development in India

Department of Rural Development in India is a department under the Ministry of Rural Development in the Central Government of India. The Department facilitates the provision of several services such as training and research facilities, human resource development, institutes of Panchayati Raj, and at the same time provides functional assistance to the DRDA and oversees the execution of projects and schemes.

Department of Rural Development also executes the schemes for wage employment and self-employment generation and, for providing small irrigation and housing facilities to the rural poor, provide economic aid to the poor in rural areas, basic minimum services. The department also develops roads in the rural areas.

The Department of Rural Development in India functions according to the formulated schemes. The important schemes undertaken by the department are:-

• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
  The transportation facility in the rural areas is one of the important factors for the economic growth of the rural sector. The construction of the transportation facilities would also help the rural unskilled labor, as construction work of this stature requires large work force. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a scheme launched and fully sponsored by the Central Government of India. The main objective of the scheme is to connect all the habitations with more than 500 individuals residing there, in the rural areas by the means of weatherproof metaled roads.
  
  
• Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
  This program is a single self-employment program for the poor rural people. The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana was put to effect in the year 1999. The program was implemented as a total package encompassing all the characteristics of self employment such as proper training, development of infrastructure, planning of activities, financial aid by the means of credit from banks, organizing the poor people in the rural areas into Self Help Groups, marketing support and subsidies.
  
  
• Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)
  The scheme was put to effect in the year 2001with the merger of the Jawahar Gram Smridhi Yojana and Employment Assurance Scheme. The Central and State governments at 75:25 ratios are sharing the execution cost of the scheme. The scheme aims at increasing the food protection by the means of wage employment in the rural areas, which are affected by the calamities after the appraisal of the state government, and the Ministry of Agriculture accepts the appraisal.
  
  
• Indira Awaas Yojana (Rural Housing)
  This scheme was put to effect in the year 1996. With the declaration of the new National Housing and Habitat policy by the Government of India in year 1998, which stated 'housing for all', the authorities are putting emphasis on providing housing benefits all over the rural areas in the country.

Department of Rural Development in India-Monitor Mechanism :-

• National Level Monitors
  The main purpose of this monitoring is to assure the efficiency and transparency in the execution of the schemes. The Ministry formed a high profile panel of retired Civil Servants and senior level Ex-Servicemen to monitor the policies and execute the schemes.
  
  
• District Level Monitoring
  This is the latest advancement in the monitoring of the schemes executed under the Department of Rural Development. The monitoring would be performed by independent agencies. This function would allow the Ministry to have monthly progress report of the ongoing schemes and prepare qualitative reports on the policies.

Last Updated on 19 May 2011