Centre mulls involving MPs in monitoring central schemes

The Modi government is considering involving Members of Parliament to monitor implementation of centrally-sponsored schemes, including the rural employment programme MGNREGA.

“The government wants MPs to have roles in implementing the centrally-sponsored schemes. We are considering issuing new guidelines to this effect,” Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

MPs often complain that the district administrations keep them in the dark over centrally-sponsored schemes and their recommendations were left unheeded.

 “We are looking into all these complaints,” Singh said.

He said the government was mulling issuing fresh guidelines to ensure involvement of MPs in schemes such as MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Skill Development initiatives and other big projects.