Himachal to plug pilferages in MGNREGA
SHIMLA--State Government would explore possibilities of requisitioning the services of Information Technology professionals to regulate Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Assurance scheme (MGNREGA) in the State to plug the pilferages at different stages in implementation of the scheme in rural areas. This was stated by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, in a meeting with Glodyne, IT Company, here today.
Chief Minister said that MGNREGA was being executed by the Rural Development Department which ensured 100 days guaranteed employment annually to the job card holders locally and near to their homes. He said that presently the scheme was being regulated as per the existing practices of preparation of muster rolls and wages disbursed in cash. He said that possibilities would be explored to install a computerized net working system and muster roll would be captured through a bio-metric device and transferred to the main net work and after every 15 days of work, assessment would be monitored and ensured that wages were disbursed to the workers through bank accounts opened in the nearby bank branch or through business correspondents of the bank engaged by the bank to disburse the wages. He said that the integrated software for MGNREGA comprehensive data management would ensure daily reporting of attendance through a bio-metric device ruling out any scope for impersonation, timely assessment and wages every fortnightly. He said that global information system based data of all works executed under the scheme and complaint management system would also be generated.
Prof. Dhumal directed the authorities to explore possibility of adopting the system under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis by ensuring that the interests of the people were well protected. He also directed them to consider dovetailing of other important schemes like watershed management, ration card data base, National Rural Health Management and Panchayati Raj data base so that the system cost was minimized and integrated system made operational for the benefit of the common man. He said that the proposed system was likely to generate employment to large number of IT qualified youth in the rural areas.
Shri Prem Kumar, Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Shri R.D.Dhiman, Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Dr. R.N.Batta, Director of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, were also present in the meeting.
Posted by BIJENDER SHARMA
on 6:54 PM.
Filed under