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Mumbai: Maharashtra which prides itself as being the most progressive and developed state in the country, its Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has no time to call for a meeting of the DISHA committee set-up to coordinate between elected representatives and local authorities and civic officials in the last four years.
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The Union government has constituted a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) to ensure there should be better coordination among all the elective representatives of Parliament, the state legislature, and local authorities, including the municipal councils and Panchayat Raj institutions.
The Member of Parliament chairs this committee. Whereas the Chief Minister chairs a state-level committee, it was mandatory to hold meetings of the district-level committee quarterly, whereas the state-level meetings were held once every six months. However, in Maharashtra, no such state-level meeting has been held during the last four years.
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DISHA comes under Union Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Mantralaya. In Maharashtra, MP Supriya Sule, Imtiaz Jaleel, Bhawana Gawali (Patil), Prataprao Jadhav, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Dr Subhash Ramrao Bnamre, Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas, Gopal Chinayya Shetty, Balubhau Dhannorkar, Navnit Ravi Rana, Prafult Patel, P Chidambaram and Narayan Rane are the committee members.
The DISHA committee was established to address the lack of communication and coordination between elected representatives and bureaucrats, particularly in the implementation of various central government schemes. The committee aims to facilitate better collaboration to ensure the effective execution of schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Rashtriya Arogya Abhiyan, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, Smart City Mission, Dindayal Antyoday Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Gramin Rojgar Hami Yojana, and others.
This committee structure is intended to enhance efficiency and coordination in the implementation of these schemes at the district level, ensuring that the intended benefits reach the citizens effectively.
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According to Santosh Gangan, a member of the state-level DISHA committee, it aligns with the broader aim of enhancing the implementation of development schemes at the grassroots level, with a focus on achieving the vision set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The committee’s responsibilities, as outlined by Santosh Gangan, include reaching out to development schemes at the village level, reviewing the work done by relevant departments, and providing constructive feedback to the government.
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However, no meeting at the state level was held during the last four years, and hence, the Union Rural Development and Panchayat Raj ministries have repeatedly reminded the state government to call the meeting regularly,” said Santosh Gangan while speaking with TheNews21.
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Lack of meetings at the state level may hinder the effective coordination and communication required for the successful implementation of various development schemes. It’s crucial for such committees to convene regularly to address issues, review progress, and provide feedback to ensure the optimal execution of government initiatives.
Santosh Gangan, a member of the state-level DISHA committee, wrote letters to the Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, on January 1, 2023, March 29, 2023, and August 2, 2023, highlighting the issue. Additionally, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Mr. Giriraj Singh, wrote a letter to the state government on April 18, 2023, reminding them to conduct regular meetings of the DISHA committee.
These letters and reminders underscore the importance of maintaining regular meetings for effective coordination and communication in the implementation of various development schemes at the state level.
The observation made by Minister Giriraj Singh regarding the scheduling of meetings during parliamentary sessions, which may prevent MPs from participating in parliamentary proceedings, highlights an additional challenge. Balancing the participation of Members of Parliament (MPs) in both committee meetings and parliamentary sessions is crucial to ensure effective representation and governance.
If committee meetings are indeed scheduled during parliamentary sessions, it could impact the engagement of MPs in critical legislative matters. This situation may warrant a careful consideration of the timing and scheduling of such committee meetings to allow MPs to fulfill their parliamentary responsibilities.
Despite a letter from the union minister and requests from members of the committee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde did not respond to these requests and letters.
The lack of response from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde despite letters from the Union Minister and requests from members of the DISHA committee raises concerns about the coordination and communication between the state government and the central authorities. Timely responses and actions are crucial to address issues related to the functioning of committees and the effective implementation of development schemes.
