[ad_1]
LUCKNOW: Union minister and BJP’s Amethi MP Smriti Irani has been named chairperson of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in neighbouring Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
As per norms, the sitting MP of a parliamentary seat in the district is appointed chairperson of DISHA by the Union rural development ministry, which conceptualised the committee in 2016 to keep vigil on implementation of various Central schemes through inter-departmental coordination. Currently, Irani also holds charge of DISHA in Amethi.
Rae Bareli district magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava confirmed the development to TOI, saying that since Salon block in Rae Bareli district falls under Amethi, Irani has been made the chairperson of DISHA in Rae Bareli. Rae Bareli chief development officer Abhishek Goel said “the seat has been vacant since 2019.”
Though he refused to clarify on whether an MP can hold dual district posts, experts pointed out that the move comes ahead of the scheduled Lucknow visit of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and marks BJP’s attempt to make deeper inroads into the Congress pocket borough in the run-up to assembly elections next year.
On Tuesday, Irani was inducted in the cabinet committee on political affairs headed by PM Narendra Modi.
The rural development ministry website still mentions Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the DISHA committee for Rae Bareli while Rahul Gandhi is shown as co-chairperson.
As per norms, the sitting MP of a parliamentary seat in the district is appointed chairperson of DISHA by the Union rural development ministry, which conceptualised the committee in 2016 to keep vigil on implementation of various Central schemes through inter-departmental coordination. Currently, Irani also holds charge of DISHA in Amethi.
Rae Bareli district magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava confirmed the development to TOI, saying that since Salon block in Rae Bareli district falls under Amethi, Irani has been made the chairperson of DISHA in Rae Bareli. Rae Bareli chief development officer Abhishek Goel said “the seat has been vacant since 2019.”
Though he refused to clarify on whether an MP can hold dual district posts, experts pointed out that the move comes ahead of the scheduled Lucknow visit of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and marks BJP’s attempt to make deeper inroads into the Congress pocket borough in the run-up to assembly elections next year.
On Tuesday, Irani was inducted in the cabinet committee on political affairs headed by PM Narendra Modi.
The rural development ministry website still mentions Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the DISHA committee for Rae Bareli while Rahul Gandhi is shown as co-chairperson.
[ad_2]
Source
