Once again, and contrary to our liking, we are obliged to poke holes in the pocket of State Rural Development Department. This is repetition of the old story of failure of the State Government in implementing a prestigious Government of India sponsored project called Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The basic philosophy behind floating this scheme is to provide as many as possible workdays to the rural labourers so that they are not to face hunger. The Government is concerned about the labour class in rural area that does not get regular employment and as such need to be assured of minimum workdays to keep their body and soul together. It is a practical way of overcoming poverty and saving the unemployed labourers from hunger and deprivation.
Notwithstanding humanitarian and appreciable efforts of the Government of India, it appears that the State Government is incapable of keeping pace with the new schemes, which the Centre launches from time to time. In this particular area, up to 28-10-2015, only 20.88 lakh person days were generated against the projection of 113.68 lakhs. In an official communiqué from the Union Ministry of Rural Development to the Secretary, State Department of Rural Development, number of deficiencies have been pointed out in the implementation of this programme in J&K State. The communiqué says that the percentage of works in J&K, completed during the Financial Year 2015-16 as on October 25, 2015, is only 2 percent while 49476 works, spillover from 2012-13 and earlier, are also incomplete. The figures mentioned in the communiqué are based on the performance analysis of J&K State in implementation of MGNREGA for the current financial year until October 28, 2015.
The shortfall in workdays for the labourers and other related matters were also taken note of by the Parliamentary Committee that visited the State earlier and had made recommendation that the State Government looks into the causes of this deficiency. The communiqué under discussion has also identified some of the reasons why the deficit performance has occurred. It has mentioned some reasons for this phenomenon and these are: low pace of person days generation, delay in wage payment, expenditure less than statutory limit on agriculture related works and little work on creation of Individual Assets, Natural Resource Management etc.
The communiqué points out that 69 percent of total transactions were delayed for more than 15 days. Out of this, 44 percent of the payments were delayed for more than 60 days. Delayed payments against works performed are inexcusable. Further, the performance analysis points out that only 19 percent person days have been generated in first seven months of the current year. This is a very low performance. Actually, it is the defeat of the purpose of the scheme.
We are aware what justification the Department of Rural Development is likely to put forward for delayed work. It tries to find alibi behind climatic conditions, fewer working days, difficulties of communication etc. These are old pretext and have overdone for a long time. The Department is not prepared to own its inefficiency and lackadaisical attitude. It is so because there is no accountability and no punitive action against non-delivery. How can we banish poverty and deprivation from our rural areas and how can the rural population feel that the Government reaches them. Imagine the level of lethargy and inactivity that mere 2 per cent work is completed during first eight months of the current financial year. We are cognizant of the fact that the Sub-Committee of the Chief Ministers Group has recently taken up the issue of delayed completion of many centrally sponsored schemes and tried to pin point the reasons for the same. We are also aware that Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed has made some cogent suggestions to overcome the hurdles in the path of our State administration in implementing the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and that the Sub-Committee has reacted sympathetically. We hope that NITI Ayog will accept the recommendations. That will provide some broad generalities for proper and timely implementation of Central schemes. However, that notwithstanding, the projects already afloat and for which funds are available and even released, need not wait for fresh guidelines. Work on these projects has to be completed. The MGNREGA is already floated in the State. Its streamlining is needed. Why the State Government so often puts itself in embarrassing situation is not understandable.
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