(1) The Central Council shall perform and discharge the following functions and duties, namely:--
         (a) establish a central evaluation and monitoring system;
         (b) advise the Central Government on all matters concerning the implementation of this Act;
         (c) review the monitoring and redressal mechanism from time to time and recommend improvements required;
         (d) promote the widest possible dissemination of information about the Schemes made under this Act;
         (e) monitoring the implementation of this Act;
         (f) preparation of annual reports to be laid before Parliament by the Central Government on the implementation of this Act;
         (g) any other duty or function as may be assigned to it by the Central Government.
     (2) The Central Council shall have the power to undertake evaluation of the various Schemes made under this Act and for that purpose collect or cause to be collected statistics pertaining to the rural economy and the implementation of the Schemes.