Fresh timelines fixed to overcome deficiencies
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 8: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about bringing radical changes in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has pointed out several shortcomings, which have created obstacles in achieving the objectives of the flagship scheme in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, the Ministry, while conveying serious concerns to the concerned officers of the State Government, has fixed fresh timelines for overcoming these deficiencies.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that implementation of MGNREGA in Jammu and Kashmir came up for discussion in the Performance Review Committee of the Union Rural Development Ministry few days ago and the Committee noted with concern several shortcomings still persisting despite repeated directions for overcoming the same during the past several years.
As mandated by the Audit of Scheme Rules each State must establish and register independent social audit unit for social audit of the implementation of flagship scheme. “However, the Performance Review Committee has pointed out J&K has not established social audit unit despite launch of the scheme several years back and repeated directions from the Ministry in this regard”, sources said.
“What to talk of social audit unit the J&K was also required to establish Governing Body”, sources said, adding “the Committee has also pointed out that J&K doesn’t have independent bank accounts, which otherwise were also mandated under the guidelines of the scheme”.
The delay in establishing social audit unit is notwithstanding the fact that Selection Committee in this regard was constituted several months back. “In this way, the J&K has clearly sent a message to the Union Ministry that it doesn’t want transparency and accountability in the implementation of the scheme”, sources said.
They further said, “MGNREGA also mandates the expenditure of at least 60% in agriculture and allied activities but in the context of Jammu and Kashmir the expenditure on this account is far less than 60% thereby establishing that this aspect of the scheme has also not received the due attention so far”. Moreover, much thrust has been laid in the scheme guidelines for creation of individual assets (Category-B) to support the livelihoods of vulnerable sections like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Below Poverty Line and small/marginal farmers but J&K has less than 20% of Category-B works.
“Though scheme guidelines clearly state that wages to MGNREGA workers must be paid within 15 days of closure of muster roll yet in J&K there is no marked increase in timely payments since last Supreme Court hearing on August 9”, sources said quoting the observations of the Performance Review Committee, adding “J&K falls in the category of very few States which have less than 15% timely wage payments despite the fact that Ministry is repeatedly laying thrust on improving the timely wage payments figures”.
Stating that J&K’s performance in payment of delay compensation has also been found as worst, sources said that the Performance Review Committee has observed that no significant delay compensation has been paid in this State since August last. As far as Aadhaar Based Payment (ABP) conversion is concerned, the J&K’s performance has been measured at less than 50%.
Notwithstanding the fact that Union Rural Development Ministry is repeatedly laying emphasis on geo-tagging of the assets, J&K has less than national average of geo-tagging. Moreover, there is no focus on electronic-Fund Management System (e-FMS) for all types of expenditure like wage, material and administrative despite the fact that the same is required to be implemented from April 1, 2018 as per the directions of the Union Ministry.
It is pertinent to mention here that all States/UTs need to implement e-FMS at all locations for all types of expenditure from April 1, 2018.
While conveying the findings of the Performance Review Committee to the Rural Development Department of the J&K, the Union Rural Development Ministry has fixed some fresh timelines for overcoming the shortcomings, which otherwise are creating obstacles in achieving the objective behind the scheme.
“However, whether the J&K Government will be able to meet the fresh timelines of the Union Ministry remains a million dollar question keeping in view its past performance”, sources remarked.
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