Integrated Rural Development Program is the full form of IRDP. It is a rural development plan of the Government of India launched nationwide on 2 October 1980. It aims to offer self-employment opportunities to poor rural communities to help them develop their businesses and cross the poverty line. It primarily targets poorer people living in extreme poverty, including rural artisans, small farmers and agricultural labourers.
Important points
- It is a federally administered program that is jointly funded by the state and the center in the ratio of 50:50.
- After 1980, she participated in all blocks of the country.
- Funds are distributed to poor rural families based on the percentage of low-income rural families in the country.
- Roughly 51 million households have benefited from IRDP at a cost of Rs. 11434.27 crore from the launch of the scheme till 1997, 45 per cent of these families were SC/ST and 27 per cent were women.
- IRDP is incorporated through DRDA (District Rural Development) agencies. DRDA requires local MPS, chairman of Zila Parishads, scheduled expenses for women and so on.
- Blocks are responsible for overseeing the plan at the field level and state level planning committees manage the program at the state level.
Structure and Composition of IRDP
IRDP targets small and marginal farmers by providing them credit under this scheme. Under the Eight Plan, a person with an income of less than Rs 11,000 falls below the poverty line.
The full form of IRDP in agriculture is the Integrated Rural Development Program. The program is implemented through District Rural Development Agencies or DRDA. It consists of sitting MP, MLA, Zila Parishad Chairman, Development Department officials, SC, ST and women representatives.
Central funds are allocated by the Ministry of Rural Development. This ministry is also entrusted with the responsibility of formulating policy, providing guidance and monitoring the implementation of the program across the country.