The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I move the following Adjournment Motion:

¶ 02 “I rise today to draw the attention of this House to a matter of significant concern regarding the effectiveness, accountability and legal clarity surrounding the decisions made by District Coordinating Committees (DCCs).

¶ 03 These committees serve as crucial forums where Members of Parliament, Provincial Governors and heads of relevant State institutions convene to deliberate on and decide matters critical to district-level development. Despite the importance of these committees, I have observed and received consistent complaints regarding several shortcomings that hinder their intended impact.

¶ 04 The key issues are as follows: 1. Lack of a Monitoring Mechanism There is currently no formal or standardized system in place to monitor or evaluate implementation of DCC decisions.

¶ 05 2. Failure of Implementation Many decisions taken during DCC meetings are either inadequately implemented or, in some instances, entirely disregarded by relevant institutions, thereby undermining the very purpose of the committees.

¶ 06 3. Legal Ambiguity There is ongoing concern among stakeholders about the legal authority of DCC decisions. This ambiguity limits accountability and the responsiveness of State agencies.

¶ 07 4. Stakeholder Complaints I have received numerous complaints from public officials, local authorities and members of civil society regarding the lack of enforcement of DCC resolutions.

¶ 08 In light of these issues, I respectfully propose that this House consider the following recommendations: - Establish a National Monitoring Framework to systematically track the implementation of DCC decisions, with progress reports submitted periodically to Parliament. - Review the Legal Framework governing DCCs, and where necessary, introduce legislative amendments to clarify and strengthen the binding nature of DCC decisions. - Assign responsibility for oversight to the District Secretary or an independent oversight body, to ensure regular reporting and follow-up at the district level. - Empower Members of Parliament to request and receive quarterly reports on the implementation status of DCC decisions within their constituencies.

¶ 09 These steps are essential to enhance the operational effectiveness of DCCs and to ensure that development decisions made at the district level are implemented in a transparent and accountable manner.”

¶ 10 Thank you.