NREGA: Opportunities and Challenges - Diksha

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NREGA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGESprojects, arranged according to panchayats. This plan indicates the time-frame of each project, the numberof person days generated and the cost.Clearly, the planning process needs to be unpackaged and made much more simple and less-timeconsuming. The plans of the village if based on local consultation and open gram sabha meetings, need tobe cleared without additional bureaucracy. The panchayat must be given responsibility, not just to plan butalso to decide. This will provide greater space for village-level planning. The role of the district coordinationagency must be to consolidate these plans and to measure their effectiveness.7. Devolve funds and functionaries to panchayats for effective overall implementation.Under the NREGA, panchayats are supposed to play pivotal roles in designing, planning and executing atleast 50 per cent of the total works. The procedure involving NREGA is so cumbersome and complex thatpanchayats hardly manage to have a say over the act’s implementation. Practically, they are functioningmerely as implementing agencies, with little say in the overall design or implementation process.This also relates to the overall stunted devolution process in India. Barring three, no state in the countryhas provided functions, functionaries and funds to panchayats for taking charge of developmentprogrammes. A panchayat assistant is supposed to be appointed along with technical staff for NREGAimplementation, but such appointments have been made only in three states. Left to their own means,many panchayat members are hesitant to implement the NREGA, as it adds to their workloadtremendously.Clearly, this state of affairs cannot be allowed to persist. Panchayats must be given the requiredfunctionaries and funds for effective implementation. In line with the decision of the Union government tochannelise all rural development programmes through panchayats, the Union ministry of panchayati raj hasbeen signing agreements with the states to fast-track such devolution. This process must be speeded upand linked to NREGA.58
NREGA: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGESReferences1. A backgrounder to the NREGA, Natural Resource Management and Livelihood Unit, Centre for Science andEnvironment, October, 2007, New Delhi2. Poverty line drawn by the Planning Commission of India based on consumption expenditure data of the NationalSample Survey Organisation’s 61st round of survey, 20073. Press Release, Press Information Bureau, June 2007, Union Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi4. Personal Communication, Haranath Jagawat, Sadguru Foundation, Dahod, Gujarat, December, 20075. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, Union Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi6. An Approach Paper to the 11th Five-Year Plan, Planning Commission of India, October, 2007, New Delhi7. Based on CSE researchers’ desk review of Rural Development Ministry’s communications on the NREGA8. Status of NREGA Implementation, a note for Parliament, November 2007, Ministry of Rural Development,New Delhi9. Ministry of Rural Development, New Delhi, December 200710. Based on figures cited in the Union Budget of 2007-0811. Primary data from www.nrgea.nic.in, September 200712. Analysis based on primary data from www.nrega.nic.in, September 200713. A backgrounder to NREGA, CSE, 2007, New Delhi14. Second Administrative Reform Committee, Government of India, 2006, New Delhi15. Based on CSE researcher’s field visit and examination of wage payment document at field sites.16. Based on CSE research on public wage programmes implementation in these districts.17. A backgrounder to the NREGA, Natural Resource Management and Livelihood Unit, Centre for Science andEnvironment, October, 2007, New DelhiResources1. An Ecological Act: A backgrounder to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Centre for Scienceand Environment, 2007, New Delhihttp://cseindia.org/programme/nrml/nrml-index.htm2. CSE reportage on NREGAhttp://cseindia.org/programme/nrml/e-pov-august07.htm3. Mapping NREGA: mapping of productive assets creation, natural resource base and their uses at national, stateand district-level under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Acthttp://cseindia.org/programme/nrml/nrega.asp4. Backward districts rankingshttp://cseindia.org/programme/nrml/district.htm5. Future course in rainfed farminghttp://cseindia.org/programme/nrml/e-pov-july07.htm6. Report of the working group on rainfed areas for formulation of Eleventh Five-Year Planhttp://www.planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp11/wg11_rainfd.pdf59
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