Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Standing Committee Chairperson presents 40th and 41st Reports in LS
New Delhi, August 11
Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, presented the committee's 40th and 41st reports in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
According to a release from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the 40th Report focuses on "Rural Skilling and Migration: Impact Study of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs)" under the Ministry of Rural Development's Department of Rural Development.
The 41st Report covers the "Implementation of Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)" pertaining to the Ministry of Rural Development's Department of Land Resources.
Some of the important recommendations in the 40th Report were that the Department of Rural Development (DoRD) must ensure near 100 per cent placement tracking with mandatory industry linkages, localised placement drives, regular post-training follow-ups, mentorship and credit facilitation. Enhanced post-placement support, including extended migration assistance, retention monitoring, skill upgradation and raising minimum wage employment targets should be institutionalised.
It also recommended a comprehensive review of bottlenecks at state and district levels, timely release of funds through Direct Benefit Transfer, better alignment of budgetary allocations with absorption capacity and stricter monitoring of expenditure, the release said.
Another recommendation was significantly enhancing credit flows, increasing average loan sizes, fast-tracking the Lakhpati Didi programme, developing robust marketing support systems including common branding, e-commerce portals, corporate partnerships, working capital assistance, product standardisation and market intelligence.
The Committee recommended that awareness and mobilisation activities should also be strengthened to ensure greater participation of rural youth, women and vulnerable sections in emerging sectors identified under the national skilling initiatives.
It also recommended the introduction of gender-responsive skilling modules, dedicated women-only batches, mobile training units and provision of crèche facilities at training centres. Special incentives for the training and placement of women, SC/ST and differently-abled candidates should be institutionalised along with targeted campaigns to enhance their participation and leadership in rural enterprises. Such steps should be taken to guarantee high levels of female workforce enrolment and long-term placement, the release noted.
According to the release, the 41st Report recommended that approval and operationalisation of DILRMP 3.0 be expedited with clearly defined milestones, measurable outcomes and an effective monitoring mechanism to consolidate the gains achieved under the present programme.
The 2nd recommendation was that all states and union territories be encouraged to complete integration of Registration Offices with Revenue Offices and implement auto-triggered online mutation so that property registration automatically results in mutation without requiring citizens to make separate applications.
The fourth recommendation stated that the committee are of the view that citizens should be able to use digitally authenticated land records for all legal, financial and administrative purposes without the need to obtain physical certified copies. The legal validity of digitally signed land records is crucial for preventing travel, accelerating property sales and ensuring quick loan approvals, the release said.
The Committee also recommend that automatic SMS and electronic alerts be generated to registered landowners whenever applications relating to mutation or transfer of ownership are submitted so as to safeguard citizens against fraudulent land transactions.
Along with that, it also recommended that suitable standards and protocols be evolved for scientific preservation, retrieval and maintenance of physical as well as digital records so that authentic land records remain accessible for administrative, legal and public purposes. Land records form the backbone of property ownership, legal security and economic development.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The recommendation about auto-triggered online mutation for land records is a game-changer. As someone who has dealt with Indian bureaucracy, the current system of separate applications for registration and mutation is a nightmare. This will save countless hours and reduce corruption opportunities.
The Lakhpati Didi programme needs all the support it can get. Women in rural areas have immense potential but lack access to credit and markets. The recommendation for common branding and e-commerce portals is brilliant - our self-help groups make amazing products but struggle to sell them beyond local haats. Hope this gets implemented properly!
I appreciate the intent but we've seen many such reports gather dust. The key will be in the implementation and monitoring. The recommendation about SMS alerts for land transactions is particularly important - land fraud is rampant in many states and this simple measure could protect millions of poor farmers.
Good to see focus on gender-responsive skilling with women-only batches and crèche facilities. In my village, many women can't attend training because they have no one to look after their kids. These small things make a huge difference. 🙏
The recommendation about digital land records having legal validity is critical. Right now even after digitization, banks and courts often insist on physical certified copies. If digitally signed records become legally valid, property transactions will become much faster. But we also need to ensure data security and privacy.
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.