Shillong, Aug 10: Community and Rural Development Minister AT Mondal on Thursday said 50 per cent of the fund for material components under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was released by the government.
HYC raised the issue with the minister during a meeting with him.
“We have released 50% of the fund one week back and the fund is released for the works already executed. As far as wage is concerned, the same is released directly to the accounts of the individual job card holders”, he told reporters.
He said the delay in releasing the funds for material components is because of the delay in clearance from the central government.
“The share between the Centre and State is 75% by 25%. So unless the Centre releases the fund, it is very difficult for us to just release 25% and keep people happy,” he said.
Mondal also informed that the state government will also insist that the remaining 50% of the funds pending for 2022 be released at the earliest.
“As I told you in the future we will pursue with the Central government that funds be released as early as possible so that the work is not hampered,” he added.
Corruption cases
On the issue of corruption cases in the implementation of the scheme, Mondal said, “If corruption charges are there it is very specific to the VECs, it is different in different VECs. I ask them when the complaint is lodged, to immediately look into the matter and take appropriate action.”
Convergence with MGNREGS
To a question for convergence of MLA scheme with MGNREGS, the minister said the MLA scheme is very flexible and if MLA wants to put in convergence with other schemes, it can be worked out.
Earlier, in the memorandum, the HYC said the organisation received several complaints from various VECs in Khasi-Jaintia Hills regions, that releasing funds related to the material components while implementing projects under the scheme takes a lot of time. In some C&RD Blocks, there are VECs who have not received the funds even after a period of two years.
“This non releasing of funds has badly affected the implementation of the scheme which is one of the most successful schemes in the state. Hence, we would like to suggest that the state government should come out with modalities or SOPs that the funds for material components must be released within a period of not more than 6 months and failure to do so the department concerned has to pay with interest to the VECs concerned. We would like to request you to kindly take steps to release all the pending funds to all the VECs who have not received the funds for more than six months”, the HYC added.
The organisation also wanted convergence of MLA scheme with MGNREGS.
“We are of the opinion that MGNREGS is one of the successful schemes in rural area and census town area as it involves a bottom up planning mechanism, it does not allow interference by politicians, it has a system of accountability and it is fair when it comes to employment opportunity. We feel that many MLA schemes are not successful in creating durable community assets and development in their respective constituencies. Hence, in order to bring a meaningful development, especially in the rural area we suggest that the government should come up with a policy/legislation that not less than 50% of the fund from MLA scheme should be implemented by way of convergence with MGNREGS. This will ensure of not just 100 days guaranteed work to job card holders but it will increase upto 110 days or more guaranteed workdays and also bring more meaningful development to the villages and town, the HYC said.
The organisation also wanted to reactivate Meghalaya Community Rural Development Services and Meghalaya Community Rural Engineering Services:
The Meghalaya government in 2018 approved a proposal of the C&RD department for the Meghalaya Community Rural Development Services and Meghalaya Community Rural Engineering Services. With this decision, the C&RD department will have its own service and staff cadres right from the level of gram sevak, junior engineers, assistant engineers and BDOs. As on date, officers working at any level in the department be it junior engineers, assistant engineers and BDOs were taken by the department on deputation from other departments. With these service rules the department would have engineers till the level of Superintending Engineer. The rules will also create more employment opportunities for the youths of the state and moreover it will enable the department to implement the scheme quicker which in turn will benefit the citizens of the state. “However, till date we have not seen that the government has taken serious steps in framing and enacting the rules. Hence we urge upon you to take immediate steps to legislate the rules and if the government has already legislated, it is necessary that it should implement the same at the earliest”, the HYC added.
