KADAPA: The District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) are to henceforth come under state’s Panchayatraj Department. The AP state government has already issued internal orders to this effect. This is consequent on central government’s announcement that it will stop funding DRDAs in the country from the forthcoming financial year.
There are about 226 employees working in 13 DRDAs across Andhra Pradesh. Kadapa District Rural Development Agency currently has about 16 staff, two of whom will retire in a few months.
The survival of YSR Kranthi Patham implemented by DRDAs under the State Poverty Alleviation Programme (SERP) has come under question. The scheme was first started in 2000 by then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. It was renamed Indira Kranti Patham in 2006 when Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy came to power. The scheme enabled economic advancement of rural women by developing and strengthening women’s self-help groups. After Chandrababu Naidu came back to power again…