Associate Professor & Former Head,
Poverty alleviation through Self-employment and Wage-employment programme is the theme of rural development. It is District Rural Development Agency at the District level which overseas the implementation of different anti-poverty programme. District Rural Development Agency came into existence with effect from 1.4.1980. Previously it was known as Marginal Farmer & Agricultural Land Development Agency (MFALDA). Later on it became Small Farmer Development Agency (SFDA). These agencies were only to cater the development of Marginal Farmers and Agricultural Labourers in rural area. Now District Rural Development Agency has embraced manifold activities for upliftment of rural poor.
District Rural Development Agency has traditionally been the principal organ at the district level to oversee the implementation of anti-poverty programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development. This agency was created originally to implement the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). Subsequently the District Rural Development Agencies were entrusted with number of programmes of both state and central governments. From 01 April 1989 a separate District Rural Development Agency Administration has been introduced to take care of the administrative costs.
IRDP-Integrated Rural Development Programme, TRYSEM-Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment, DWCRA-Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas, GKY-Ganga Kalyan Yojana, MWS-Million Wells Scheme (MWS)
