Minimum Govt Maximum Governance: High-Level Panel Proposes Merger Of Rural Development And Panchayati Raj Ministry

A high-level panel formed by the Government has proposed a merger between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Rural Development for better coordination and outcome on the implementation of rural centric schemes, reports Economic Times.

The panel had been setup by the Government to review the rural schemes. It has proposed that the merger of the said ministries be implemented at both the Central as well as State levels. It has asserted that unifying these ministries and their departments will lead to better coordination and improved outcomes.

The panel has also suggested that a task force could be set up to device an efficient mechanism to achieve the merger.

Apart from this, to improve the outcomes of rural schemes, the panel has also suggested the preparation of a quality index for all schemes which should thereafter be regularly monitored along with quantitative achievements.

Meanwhile, it has also suggested that the Government should urgently review the socio-economic caste census-based list of beneficiaries to minimise the scope for errors as the extant list is very old and has serious inclusion and exclusion errors.