The Rural Development Master Plan (RDMP) was drawn up to coordinate programmes and aid for poverty eradication as well as look after the welfare of the rural dwellers, said Rural and Regional

Development Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal.

He said the plan would avoid and shafie apdal and mps no defection pc 280808 04 overcome problems of wastage, disputes, duplication and improve the delivery system for the community.

"The master plan can address the issues which we are trying to resolve such as the duplication of functions and responsibilities because at times the distribution of food and aid was carried out by various ministries such as the Health Ministry and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry," he said.

Mohd Shafie ( right ) said this to reporters after the launching of the RDMP by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the gathering of the Village/Federal Development and Security Committees at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, near Kuala Lumpur today.

He added that the master plan could be taken as a guide in all plans to be implemented by all ministries and agencies involved in rural development at the national and local levels.

Database being created

On the suggestion by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to create an updated data base on villages, Mohd Shafie said his ministry had already undertaken an operation to gather information on villages throughout the country.

He said that to date, the database on villages in three states, namely Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, had been completed.

"We have 15,000 villages nationwide including in the remote areas and the data gathering was being carried out all the time and could possibly be completed within a year or two.

"If necessary, the data can be shared between all the relevant ministries involved in rural development efforts," he said.

He said the data base, which was also known as the Geographical Information System (GIS), contained information on the area such as the number of population, number of houses, roads as well as educational facilities and hospitals.

The gathering was attended by about 8,000 members of the village/federal security and development committees.

Under the RDMP, the government plans to create a rural community that is progressive, knowledgeable and with integrity as well as to create rural areas that are progressive, attractive and safe to live in.

- Bernama