DRDA' is functioning at

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
The correct option is 1: District level because DRDA stands for District Rural Development Agency, which explicitly defines its geographical and administrative jurisdiction. The DRDA has been established as the principal organ at the district level to effectively oversee, manage, and coordinate the implementation of various Centrally Sponsored anti-poverty and rural development programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development. It functions as a specialised and professional agency capable of developing a clear perspective on poverty alleviation, coordinating the activities of all line departments, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), banks, and other agencies in the district. The DRDA is responsible for planning for effective implementation, ensuring convergence of different programs to avoid duplication, and monitoring the progress and quality of implementation across the entire district. In most cases, the District Collector or the Chairman of the Zilla Parishad heads the DRDA's Governing Body, with a full-time Project Director managing the day-to-day operations, firmly rooting the agency’s function at the district administration's core.

The incorrect option is 2:
The Block level is primarily the administrative tier for the actual on-ground execution and delivery of the rural development schemes, not the central agency for overall district-wide management and coordination. The Block Development Officer (BDO) and the Panchayat Samiti are responsible for implementing the schemes within their respective block areas. The DRDA, operating from the district headquarters, acts as the supervisory body that provides policy direction, releases funds, and monitors the progress made at the Block level. While the Block level is crucial for grassroots delivery, it is subordinate to the DRDA in the context of planning, oversight, and financial management of the anti-poverty programmes. Therefore, the function of the DRDA is to manage the scheme from above, not to execute it directly at this level.

The incorrect option is 3:
The Village level is the lowest administrative unit, and for the DRDA, it represents the level of the final beneficiaries and the smallest implementing body, such as the Gram Panchayat. Schemes like Indira Awaas Yojana or MGNREGA ultimately aim to deliver benefits to individuals and communities at the village level. However, the DRDA's function is managerial and supervisory across the entire district, ensuring that resources flow correctly to *all* villages. The village level is where the results are physically manifested, but the DRDA is the mechanism for the professional management and monitoring of the entire process, which is why it operates from the district headquarters, not the village.

The incorrect option is 4:
The State level is the government tier responsible for overall policy formulation, allocating the state's share of funds, and providing broad administrative and political guidance. State-level departments, such as the Department of Rural Development, manage the macro-budget and issue state-wide operational guidelines. The DRDA is an autonomous or semi-autonomous body registered under the Societies Act that is responsible for the professional and localised execution and management of these programs *within* its specific district. Therefore, the DRDA acts as a specialized arm of the larger State-level policy and funding system, making the district, not the state, its immediate and primary sphere of function.