Kolkata: The state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department is engaging senior government officials who will be inspecting the various schemes that are being implemented by the three-tier Panchayat bodies for ensuring complaint-free work execution and avoidance of any violation of guidelines.
"Regular inspection and proper monitoring will reduce complaints and allegations on rural development schemes execution, fund utilisation and record keeping and help us in ensuring transparency and accountability," a senior official of the state P&RD department said.
The department has prepared a schedule of such inspection and designated officers for the purpose. The Divisional Commissioner will inspect one Zilla Parishad every month, the District Magistrate should do so for one Panchayat Samiti and one Gram Panchayat per month, Additional District Magistrates implementing rural development schemes should inspect one Panchayat Samiti and one Gram Panchayat per month, SDO will also do the same as will be done by Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector of sub-division.
The BDO and the Joint BDO will each inspect three Gram Panchayats per month.
The department is developing a dedicated portal for uploading of inspection reports, resolution of meetings and action taken. This portal will have a dashboard and report will be generated on number of inspections done, meetings held and action taken. The progress will be closely monitored at the state level.
District Magistrates have been asked to hold monthly review meetings to collect feedback, analyse and initiate suitable rectification measures. Resolution of such meetings shall be communicated to the department through the portal. Similarly SDOs and BDOs can convene such review meetings at their levels and take suitable action in this respect. The department has chalked out an inspection schedule for the concerned officers as proper inspection calendar is not uniformly prepared by the districts. Section 205 of the West Bengal Panchayats Act 1973, inter alia, provides that the state government shall appoint officers as it may consider necessary for the purpose of inspecting and superintending the work of the three-tier Panchayat.