Parliament Question: Meeting of DISHA Committee

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1523 ANSWERED ON 28/07/2026 MEETING OF DISHA COMMITTEE 1523. Shri Bishnu Pada Ray: Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the State-level District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting has not been conducted since the introduction of the DISHA scheme in 2016 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as reported by the public representative vide Letter No. 03/MP-ANI/2026/143 dated 27.03.2026; (b) if so, whether the Government has examined the issues raised in the said representation; (c) the action taken by the Government on the issues raised therein; (d) the reasons for the failure of the Union Territory Administration to convene the State-level DISHA Committee meetings despite the directions/guidelines issued by the Ministry; and (e) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure that the meetings of the State-level DISHA Committee are conducted regularly in accordance with the prescribed guidelines and mandatory provisions? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a): The Government of UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands has informed that, following the constitution of UT Level DISHA Committee on 26.07.2021, no physical meeting of the UT Level DISHA Committee has been convened. However, one meeting of the UT Level DISHA Committee was held in November, 2021 through circulation of the physical file among the Committee members, as convening of physical meeting was not feasible then due to the restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, the Government of UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands has now informed Page 1 of 2that necessary action has been taken for convening the UT level DISHA Committee meeting in accordance with the Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India. (b) to (e): Timely convening of DISHA meetings is crucial for ensuring effective governance and promoting holistic development of districts. Recognizing the critical importance of DISHA, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is persistently working to ensure that these meetings are convened on a regular basis. The Ministry has been regularly reminding all States/UTs about the same from time to time. Recently vide letter dated 03.07.2026, States and UTs including Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been reminded to take necessary steps to convene meetings of the State/UT Level DISHA Committee regularly in accordance with the provisions of the DISHA Guidelines. ***** Page 2 of 2