PREAMBLE
The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)
has traditionally been the principal organ at the District level to oversee the
implementation of different anti-poverty programmes.
Since its inception, the administrative costs of the DRDAs
were met by way of setting apart a share of the allocations for each programme.
However, of late, the number of the programmes had increased and while some of the programmes provided for administrative costs of the DRDAs, others did not. There was no uniformity among the
different programmes with reference to administrative
costs. Keeping in view the need for an effective agency at the district level
to coordinate the anti-poverty effort, a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme for
strengthening the DRDAs has been introduced with
effect from
I - Role and Functions of the District Rural
Development Agency
1.1 If effective programme design is critical to successful implementation
of rural development programmes, so is an effective
delivery agency. None of the anti-poverty programmes
can have impact unless they are implemented with clarity of purpose and a
commitment to the task. It is here that the DRDAs
play a critical role. The DRDAs are not the
implementation through overseeing the implementation of different programmes and ensuring that necessary linkages are
provided. To this extent the DRDA is a supporting and facilitation organization
and needs to play a very effective role as a catalyst in development process.
1.2 The
district Rural Development Agency is visualised as
specialized and a professional agency capable of managing the anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development on the one
hand and to effectively relate these to the overall effort of poverty
eradication in the District. In other words, while the DRDA will continue to
watch over and ensure effective utilization of the funds intended for
anti-poverty programmes, it will need to develop a
far greater understanding of the processes necessary for poverty
alleviation/eradication. It will also need to develop the capacity to build
synergies among different agencies involved for the most effective results. It
will therefore need to develop distinctive capabilities rather than perform
tasks that are legitimately in the domain of the PRIs or the line departments. The role of
the DRDA will therefore be distinct from all the other agencies, including the Zilla Parishad.
1.3 DRDAs must themselves be more professional and should be
able to interact effectively with various other agencies. They are expected to
coordinate with the line department, the Panchayati Raj Institutions, the banks and other financial
institutions, resources required for poverty reduction effort in the district.
It shall be their endeavour and objective to secure
inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination
and cooperation for reducing poverty in the district. It is their ability to
coordinate and bring about a convergence of approach among different agencies
for poverty alleviation and would set them apart.
1.4 The
DRDAs are expected to coordinate effectively with the
Panchayati Raj Instutions. Under no circumstances will they perform
functions of PRIs.
1.5 The
DRDAs will maintain their separate identity but will
function under the chairmanship of the Chairman of Zill
Parishad. They are expected to be a facilitating and
supporting organization to Zill Parishad,
providing necessary excutive and technical support in
respect of poverty reduction efforts. Wherever the Zilla Parishads are not in existence of are not functional, the DRDAs would function under the Collector/District
Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner, as the case may be.
1.6 The
DRDAs are expected to oversee the implementation of
different anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry of
Rural Development in the district. This is not be confused with actual
implementation, which will be by the Panchayati Raj and other Institutions. The DRDAs
will monitor closely the implementation through obtaining of periodic reports
as well as frequent field visits. The purpose of the visit should be to
facilitate the implementing agencies in improving implementation process,
besides ensuring that the quality of implementation of programmes
is high. This would include overseeing whether the intended beneficiaries are
receiving the benefits under the different programmes.
1.7 The
DRDAs shall keep the Zella Parishad, the State and Central Government duly informed of
the progress of the implementation of the progremmes
through periodic reports in the prescribed formats. Special report, as and when
called for, shall be provided.
1.8 It
shall be the duty of the DRDAs to oversee and
ensure that the benefits specifically earmarked for certain target groups
(SC/ST, women and disabled) reach them. They shall all necessary steps to
achieve the prescribed norms.
1.9 The
DRDAs shall take necessary step to improve the
awareness regarding rural development and poverty alleviation particularly
among the rural poor. This would involve issues of poverty, the opportunities
available to the rural poor and generally infusing a sense of confidence in
their ability to overcome poverty. It would also involve sensitizing the
different functionaries in the district to the different aspects of poverty and
poverty alleviation programmes.
1.10 The
DRDAs will strive to promote transparency in the
implementation of different anti-poverty programmes.
Towards this end, they shall publish periodically, the details of the different
programmes and their implementation.
1.11 Keeping
in view, the substantial investment that are being made in poverty alleviation programmes, the DRDAs shall
ensure financial discipline in respect of the funds received by them, whether
from Central of State Governments. They shall also ensure that the accounts are
properly maintained including in respect of the funds allocated to banks or
implementing agencies in accordance with the guidelines of different programmes.
1.12 Thus
the role of the DRDA is in terms of planning for effective implementation of
anti-poverty programmes; coordinating with other
agencies-Governmental, non-Governmental, technical and financial for successful
programme implementation; enabling the community and
the rural poor to participate in the decision marking process, overseeing the
implementation to ensure adherence to guidelines, quality, equity and
efficiency; reporting to the prescribed authorities on the implementation; and
promoting transparency in decision making and implementation.
1.13 In
addition the DRDAs shall coordinate and oversee the
conduct of the BPL Census and such other surveys that are required from time to
time.
1.14 The
DRDAs shall also carry out / aid in carring out action research/ or evaluation studies that are
initiated by the Central/State Governments.
1.15 The
DRDAs should deal only with the anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development. If DRDAs are to be entrusted with programmes
of other ministries or those of the State Governments, it should be ensured
that these have a definite antipoverty focus. Entrusting of any programme to the DRDAs, other
than anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry, be it
of any other Ministry of Government of India or the respective State Government
will have to be done with the approval of the Secretary, Rural Development of
the respective State (s), who should examine such request in consultation with
the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. In such cases, it must
be ensured that adequate provision is made for requisite staffing needed for
proper implementation of the programme.
II - Organisational
Structure of the
DRDAs
2.1
Each
district will have its own District Rural Development Agency. Ordinarily it
would be a society registered under a Societies Registration Act. In respect of
such states where DRDA does not have a separate identity a separate cell should
be created in Zill Parishad
which maintains a separate identity and separate accounts, so that the accounts
are capable of being audited separately. This Cell should be directly under the
charge of CEO or alternatively an officer who has the qualifications to be a
Project Director. The accounts of DRDAs should under
no circumstances be merged or amalgamated with those of the Zilla
Parishads.
2.2
In
order to be effective, the DRDA must have an appropriate staffing structure as
well as suitable personnel policy. Keeping
in view the rule and functions of the DRDA listed in the previous
chapter, the staffing structure of DRDA must include positions for Planning for
poverty alleviation, Project
formulation, Social Organization and Capacity builing
, Gender concerns, Engineering Supervision and Quality control, Project
Monitoring, Accountancy and Audit functions as well as Evaluation and impact
studies. An indicative staffing structure is given in Annexure and is also detailed
below. The State Government may modify the structure suitably, but without
altering the basic design, to take care of the needs of individual districts
keeping in view their size as well as specificity. However, this will also be
subject to the overall ceiling of administrative costs admissible to the DRDAs in the State. By and large the staff appointed should
be dedicated to DRDA-related works and should not be frequently transferred.
The Staffing structure will as follows:
a) Project
Director
i)
Each DRDA should
be headed by Project Director, who should be the rank of a
Additional District Magistrate. The Project Director should preferably be a
senior scale officer of All India Services or a senior officer of the State
Service, eligible of appointment to the All India Services. He would be in
overall charge of the
activities of the DRDA and responsible for interaction with the District/State
administration as well as with the Government of India. The PD should be
exclusively for DRDA work.
ii)
In some State,
such as
iii)
Each DRDA should
have the following wings:
a) Self - employment Wing;
b) Women's wing;
c) Wage employment wing;
d) Engineering wing;
e) Account wing;
f)
Monitoring and
Evaluation wing;
g) General Administration wing;
b) Self- Employment
Wing
i) The self-employment Wing, shall be headed by a Project
Officer and should have APOs in the field of
planning, social mobilization, credit and Technology. The Project Officer may
be specifically responsible for any of these four functions. The
ii)
The DRDAs would be drawing up projects for specific activities under
the Self-employment programmes, it would be necessary
to have suitable experts to oversee the successful implementation of such
projects. As part of the overall programme
management, the DRDAs may take outside expert on a
consultancy basis. Secretary, Rural Development of each state should develop
guidelines for selection of consultants so as to avoid any wrong use of such
provisions and to see that only those who have a proven practical
expertise are engaged. Such experts to be engaged on project specific basis
will function under the overall control and supervision of the Project Officer,
self-employment programms.
c) Women's Wing
In order to ensure that women receive adequate
attention in all the anti- poverty programmes, a
Women's Cell should be sit up in each DRDA. This cell would establish necessaty synergy with departments such as Women &
Child Development, Education and health Departments to ensure that women not
only receive their due share in the anti-poverty programmes
but are also able to receive benefits of other programmes.
The Women's wing will be headed by an Assistant Project Officer, who will
function under the overall co-ordination of the Project Officer of the self
employment wing. Assistant
d) Wage
Employment Wing
The
central concern of the DRDA in the
wage-employment programmes should relate to planning,
monitoring and vigilance by a technical wing. The DRDA should not concern
itself with the actual implementation and execution of works which can be done
by the line department / engineers or the Panchayati Raj Institutions. At the same time, the magnitude of the
wage employment wing, with a Project officer assisted by a small complement of
staff.
e) Watershed Wing
A
Watershed Wing will be set up in the DRDA in all such districts where IWDP /
DPAP /DDP is in operation. This wing should consist of a Project Officer,
assisted by a small complement of staff. This staff would be independent of the
programme support in the form of PIAs
or Watershed committees.
f) Engineering Wing
Each
DRDA should have a technical wing, which should also be responsible for
innovations in design or use of materials, as well as training of the
engineering personnel of the line departments or the PRIs.
This wing should be manned by an Executive Engineer assisted by one or two
Assistant / Junior Engineers.
g) Account Wing
i) Wherever it has not been done, the DRDAs should shift over to commercial accounting systems
from the existing government account system. They should publish an annual
report alongwith the balance sheet. The accounts wing
of the DRDA should be headed by a Sr. Accounts Officer, either on deputation or
by engaging the services of a chartered accountant. He should be supported by
an Accounts Officer each for self-employment programmes
and wage employment programmes duly assisted by
accountants. Wherever the Watershed programmes
(IWDP/DPAP/DDP) are under implementation, an additional post of Accounts
Officer may be sanctioned. For Indira Awaas Yojana, one Accountant at
the district level should be available to monitor the progress of the programme and the accounts.
ii) One
of the Accounts Officers should perform the role of internal audit.
h) Monitoring Wing
These
should be a separate Monitoring and Evaluation wing headed by a Project
Economist and functioning directly under the supervision of the Project
Director. Apart from monitoring the progress of all the programmes., this wing
should also carry out evaluation /impact studies regularly by independent by independent institutions /experts including
NGOs. The cost of such studies will be met from the respective programme funds. This wing should also monitor issues
relevant to poverty in the district.
III –
Administrative Costs
3.1 Administrative
costs were earlier admissible under different programmes.
In order to enable the DRDAs to develop a proper
personnel structure and to ensure its proper growth over years, the practive of meeting the administrative costs as percentages
of each programme allocation has been given up. It
will, on the other hand, be taken up as a new scheme called `DRDA
Administration with effect from
3.2 Till
31.3.1999, administrative costs of the DRDAs were being
met by way of a part of the programme fund of IRDP,
JRY, EAS, DPAP, etc. With the introduction of the scheme of `DRDA
Administration` the administrative costs earlier available under different programmes stand withdrawn from 1.4.1999 and provision of
administrative support to the DRDAs will be only
under the scheme of `DRDA Administration`.
3.3 Since
the salary structure in different States different, the States may follow their
own salary structure. However, the administrative cost ceiling fixed should be
met entirely by the State government.
3.4 A
maximum of 30% of the salary cost may be allocated towards contingencies
inclusive of Rents, POL, office expenses, etc.
3.5 The
administrative cost per district is fixed as follows:
Category
A districts (<6 blocks) Rs. 46 lakh per year
Category
B districts (6-10
blocks) Rs.
57 lakh per year
Category
C districts (11-15
blocks) Rs.
65 lakh per year
Category
D districts (>15
blocks) Rs.
67 lakh per year
3.6 The
above limits will be applicable from the year 1999-2000. This ceiling will be
raised every year, on a compounding basis, upto 5% to
set off the increases due to inflation etc.
3.7 The
state governments are allowed a sum upto 10% of the
above costs, to be calculated at 10% of the total admissible cost to all the
districts in the state.
IV –
Personnel Policy of the DRDAs
4.1 Currently,
there is no uniform policy for engaging and/or recruiting the staff by the
DRDA. In many States, there are staff both directly
recruited as well as on deputation. It is essential that prudent personnel
policies are followed if the DRDA are to be a professional agency or are to
perform the tasks expected of them. The following principles are laid down
which must necessarily be followed.
4.2 As
a matter of policy, the DRDA should not have any permanent staff. Taking
employees on deputation to the DRDA for specific periods has the advantage of
better choice of staff, flexibility in staffing pattern and of motivating the
staff. The objective of strengthening of DRDAs is to
provide them with certain professional capacity and have a flexible-standing
pattern. To start with, DRDAs shall no longer be
allowed to make any direct recruitment. In respect of the Staff that is
currently borne on the DRDA, the State Rural Development Department should
immediately draw up a 3-5 year plan for absorption of the staff into the line
departments.
4.3 The
Project Directors, Project Officers, APOs and all
technical posts are to be manned by officer with proven capability and
motivation and are selected in an objective manner by specific Selection
Committees. The Project Directors should be selected by a Committee headed by
the Chief Secretary / Development Commissioner / Addl. Chief Secretary of the
State and with the Secretary (RD) being
the member convenor, similarly, for officers at the
level of APOs and other technical officers, there
should be a selection Committee headed by Secretary (RD). For other staff too,
other than ministerial and lower rank, the selection should be by an
appropriate selection committee.
4.4 In
the selection of Project Directors and APOs, emphasis
should be on selecting officers of young age. Indicatively, the PDs and
4.5 Lack
of sufficient length of tenure to the project personnel has been a worrisome
factor in the implementation of the anti-poverty programmes.
In order to avoid this risk, it is necessary to insist on a minimum tenure and
also ensure its compliance. The Project Directors, APOs
and other technical staff must have a minimum tenure of 2-3 years and only
under exceptional circumstances can theyh be shifted
that too after recording the specific reasons in writing. Any violation should
mean suspension of funds to the concerned DRDA.
4.6 The
Secretary, Rural Development of the state should be in overall charge of the
Project Directors of DRDAs. To start with, after
selection the posting orders of Project Directors (the project officers, APOs) should be issued by the Secretary, Rural Development
and not by any other department. The cadre controlling authority of the Project
Directors / other officers may place the services of the concerned officers
(after selection) at the disposal of the Rural Development Department for
appointment to the concerned posts. The Secretary, Rural Development should
also be responsible for making incharge arrangements
when Project Directors go on long leave. The Secretary, Rural Development
should actively associate himself / herself in the training requirements of
Project Directors and other DRDA staff.
4.7 In
order to make the DRDA a professional body, the officials and staff of DRDAs should be constantly trained in the general field of
management of rural areas and poverty. The personnel to be posted to the DRDA
should be given a pre-service training to orient them suitably to their tasks.
4.8 There
should also be a system of an annual in-service training where the officers
could be given the updates about the relevant fields and which would also
afford them an opportunity of exchanging their experiences.
4.9 Suitable
training programmes will be designed by the Ministry
in consultation with professional institutes of the national importance. The
State Government may also identify suitable state-level institutions in
consultation with the Ministry of Rural Development.
V –
Administration of DRDAs
5.1 An
indicated, the role of the DRDA is to perform tasks which are distinctly
different from other institutions / departments. However, the DRDAs are very much a part of the district. They shall
function accordingly.
5.2 The
DRDA shall be a registered society registered under a Societies Registration
Act or a district cell in the Zilla Parishad having a separate identity. The chairman of the Zilla Parishad shall be the
chairman of governing body of the DRDA. The Executive and financial functions
shall however lie with CEO, Zilla Parishad
/ District Collector who shall be designated as the Chief Executive Officer or
Executive Director. It shall be his responsibility to ensure that the
administration of DRDA and the programmes are
conducted in accordance with the guidelines. Wherever the Zilla
Parishads are not in existence or are not functional,
the DRDAs would function under the Collector /
District Magistrate /Deputy Commissioner of the District, as the case may be.
5.3 The
administration of the DRDA shall be carried out by a governing body. The
Governing Body of the DRDA will provide policy directions, approve the annual
plan and also review and monitor the implementation of the plan, including the
different programmes. They shall give such directions
to the DRDA as may be necessary from time to time. The Governing Body of the
DRDA will meet once in a quarter.
5.4 The
composition of the governing body shall be as follows.
1. Chairman of Zilla
Parishad Chairman
2. All MPs and MLAs
and MLCs of the District
3. 1/3rd
of Panchayat Samiti
Chairpersons to be nominated by rotation in alphabetical order for a tenure of
one year, one of whom must belong to SC/ST and another a
woman.
4. CEO of
Zilla Parishad / District
Collector – Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director
5. Head of the Central Cooperative Bank of
the District
6. Chairman
Regional Rural Bank
7. District Lead Bank Officer
8. Representative of the Reserve Bank of
9. NABARD representative at district level
10. General Manager, DIC
11. Representative
of KVIB
12. District
Officer in charge of Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe Welfare
13. District
women & Child welfare officer
14. District
officer dealing with welfare of the disabled
15. One representative from technical
institutions
16. Two representatives of NGOs
17. Two
representatives of the weaker sections, one of whom may be drawn from SCs and STs
18. One representative of rural women
19. Proejct
Director, DRDA - Member Secretary
Wherever
the Zilla Parishads are not
in existence, the State Governments may nominate elected members of the State
Legislature from the concerned districts to act as Chairman of the Governing
Bodies of the DRDAs.
Executive Committee (EC)
5.5 All
executive and financial powers of the DRDA shall be exercised by the executive
committee as per a scheme of delegation of financial and executive powers to be
determined by each State/UT Government and this Committee will be fully
accountable in all matters of DRDA to the governing body as well as to the
Government. The Executive Committee of DRDA shall be headed by the Chief
Executive Officer / Executive Director and shall consist of all the District
level officers and any other officer deemed necessary for planning and
implementation of the anti-poverty programmes. The
Project Director DRDA will be the Member-Secretary of the EC.
The
Executive Committee will meet at least once in a month.
VI – Financial Procedures
6.1 The
scheme of `DRDA Administration` shall be a centrally sponsored scheme. The
funds required under this progreamme shall be shared
between the Centre and the States in the ratio of
75:25 Funds will be released directly to the DRDAs,
in accordance with the guidelines under this programme.
6.2 The
Centre will release funds in two installments.
a) Release of First Installment
i) The
release of first installment can be made without any formal request if the
second installment in the previous year had been released without any
condition. If latter installment was not released at all or was released with
some conditions, formal requests for release of first installment are required
from the DRDAs after the conditions have been
fulfilled / reasons for non-release of the second installment have been met.
For the first year i.e., 1999-2000 all the DRDAs will
be released first installment on an ad-hoc basis.
ii) The
release of the first installment should ordinarily be completed by the end of
the second month of the financial year.
b) Release of Second Installment
i) The
quantum of the second installment shall be subject to actual requirement within
the overall ceiling. The second installment of Central funds shall be released
on the request of the DRDAs in the prescribed performa on fulfillment of the following conditions.
1) Budget
provision for the current year may be indicated by the State Governments. The
Central release will not exceed it proportionately.
2) The
State Government should have released its contribution during the previous
year. Deficiency in release of its share will be deducted from the second
installment. Also the contribution of the State Government for the first
current year should have been released.
3) Available
funds including carry forward funds should have been utilized at least to 60%.
4) The
opening balance of the DRDAs should not exceed 15% of
the allocation of the year in which funds are being released. In case, the
opening balance exceeds this limit, the Central share of the amount by which it
exceeds this limit will be deducted at the time of release of second
installment.
5) Audit
reports, utilization certificates for the previous year should be furnished.
This will not be required in the first year i.e., 1999-2000.
6) Any
other terms and conditions imposed at the time of the last release should have
been met.
ii) The
DRDA shall maintain the fund under the head `DRDA Administration`, in a
separate bank account in any o the nationalized bank. Interest earned on the
funds will necessarily be used only for admissible items of expenditure under
DRDA administration. They shall not be used for any programme
funding or non-admissible items of expenditure, such as construction of
building and purchase of vehicles.
c) Maintenance of Accounts
i) Principles
Separate accounts shall be maintained of this scheme
and each other scheme under which the DRDA receives funds. Such maintenance of
accounts is governed by the principles that the expenditure incurred is not
repugnant to the objective of the scheme and is made, in accordance with the
prescribed procedures. DRDA accounts are to be maintained on double entry system.
The accounting procedure for DRDAs has been described
in detail in the Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development Publication
entitled “Revised Accounting Procedure for District Rural Development Agencies
/ Societies”, 1984 and subsequent instruction issued / to be issued from time
to time. Internal Audit Cells should be specifically charged with the
responsibility of overseeing and the observance of these principles. One of the
Accounts Officers should perform the role of internal audit.
d) Audit of the Accounts
i) The
Project Director should cause the annual accounts of the DRDA to be prepared by
a date not later than 30th June comprising Receipt and Payment
Accounts, Income and Expenditure Account and Balance sheet. After approval by
the Governing body, he shall have the accounts audited by the Chartered
Accountant or any other auditor appointed for the purpose. A copy of such audit
report (duly signed by auditor) alongwith the annual
statement of accounts certified by the auditor and the Chairman of the DRDA
thereon should be furnished simultaneously to Government of India and the State
Government not later than 30th September.
ii) The
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has the right to conduct the audit of the
accounts of the society and for this purpose shall have the right of access to
the books of accounts and other relevant records of the DRDA. For this purpose
a copy of the annual accounts alongwith the audit
report and the comments of the DRDA thereon shall be sent to the audit office
nominated by CAG.
iii) The
accounts of the DRDA shall also be open to inspection by such individual or
parties as are nominated to carryout such inspections by the Ministry of Rural
Development at the State level or at the level of the Government of India. All
Officers of and above the level of Under Secretary in the Ministry of Rural
Development, Government of India and such officer as may be authorized by the
State Government may also inspect the accounts.
iv) A Statement showing the schedule of Fixed Assets held
by the DRDA / Agency at the end of the financial year should be sent to the
State Government and Government of India with the form prescribed alongwith the annual statement of accounts. No depreciation
should be charged and value of assets to be shown at the original cost in the
accounts.
v) All
the Agencies should send a utilization certificate to the Government of India
(Department of Rural Development) in the prescribed Performa alongwith annual statement of accounts. The utilization
certificate must be prepared strictly on the basis of the Receipts and Payment
Accounts and opening / closing balances in both Receipts and Payment Accounts Utilisation Certificate must also tally.
vi) The above provisions are in addition to the statutory
requirements under relevant law under which the DRDAs
are registered.