The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Development is responsible for the implementation of various Centrally-sponsored, State-funded and Externally-aided schemes for poverty alleviation, employment generation, sanitation, capacity, building, women’s social and economic empowerment, Tsunami rehabilitation, apart from provision of basic amenities and servises. The Department is also entrusted with responsibility of enabling various Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) to function as effective units of Local Self-Government. There are 12,524 Village Panchayats, 385 Panchayat Unions ( co-terminus with Blocks ) and 31 District Panchayats under the purview of the Department.
The DRDA established in 1981 is a registered society under the Tamil Nadu societies Act. The District Collector is the chairman of the DRDA. Governing body carries out the administration of the DRDA. The governing body governs major policy decisions including planning and functioning of DRDA and nevertheless the control and monitoring aspects are also being carried out. The meeting of the governing body of the DRDA is being conducted at least once in a quarter.
The administrative cost of DRDA is met under the head ” DRDA ADMN” shared between the central and state shared between the ratio of 75:25 . A maximum of 30% of the salary cost is allocated towards contingencies inclusive of Rents, POL, office expenses, etc.
Pudukkotai district comes under category D ( Below 15 Blocks) the allocation is Rs.164.25 Lakhs per year. The ceiling will be raised every year , on a compounding basis, upto 5% to set of the increase due to inflation etc.