District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha)

Subject: Polity

Context:

• As per the Common Review Mission-2019, commissioned by the rural development ministry, in 2019 the average work generated per household under MGNREGA was 48 days which is half the entitled 100 days per household annually
• The audit also added that the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (Disha) is virtually non-functional.

Concept:

• District Development coordination and Monitoring committee (DISHA) is formed to fulfill the objective of ensuring a better coordination among all the elected representatives in Parliament, State Legislatures and Local Governments for efficient and time-bound development of districts in our country.
• These Committees could monitor the implementation of the programmes and promote synergy and convergence for greater impact.
• For years, District Vigilance and Monitoring Committees had the oversight mandate of a handful of schemes run by the rural development ministry but in 2016, they were superseded by DISHA which was charged with monitoring 41 central schemes, ranging from infrastructure and power, education and food security to rural development.
• This committee will have coordination and Monitoring powers. Its role is to facilitate the timely execution of approved projects. It will have powers in seeking effective follow up of issues raised during the deliberation.

Composition 

• The Chairperson of the DISHA should be a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) elected from the district, nominated by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• One MP (Rajya Sabha) representing the State and exercising an option to be associated with the district level Committee of that district (on first come basis), to be designated as Co-Chairpersons by the Ministry of Rural Development
• Member secretary: The Member Secretary of the DISHA should be the District collector
• All Members of the State Legislative Assembly elected from the district
• One representative of the State Govemment / UT Administration
• All Mayors / the Chairpersons of Municipalities and five elected heads of Gram Panchayat
• Chairperson of the Zila Panchayat
• Head of the Autonomous District Council in districts having Schedule VI Areas
• And nominated members