NREGA GETS e-Shakti

NREGA; THE CHANGING LIFE OF POOR

Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar today started an e-shakti scheme in NREGS for all the districts of Bihar. It is a unique scheme in which the eligible job seekers ( registered labors having job cards) who have already been supplied with job cards under National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes can ask for job under the scheme on telephone. Toll free Numbers are being installed in the headquarters for this scheme.

The CM was very critical of the department of rural development because the overall performance of the NREGS is not satisfactory and the state could come only on the second last ladder of the performance on national basis.

The poor administrative infrastructure, ill trained personnel, rampant corruption at panchayat level and apathy amongst the departmental officials are the root causes of dismal performance of this flagship scheme, which had been started by the UPA government with much fanfare.  In order to improve upon this scheme  both in terms of financial and physical target achievement, the government took a decision only a couple of days ago that NREGS would be implemented though departments other than the rural development also. Departments like Water Resources, Welfare, Road construction, Building construction, REO and Minor Irrigation etc have also been asked to prepare plan to provided jobs to he labors registered under NREGS.

The rules with respect to the NREGA is such that any state which fails to utilize allocated funds under this scheme would get the next year’s allocation reduced by that proportion. Thus every year Bihar gets lesser amount in this flagship programme which is the most ambitious rural employment programme.

The e-shakti scheme is yet to start at full pace as in the inaugural event itself phone lines did not work properly and the questions asked on the phone could not be responded properly by the concerned authority. The CM has reprimanded the officials and asked them to complete the target before this fiscal and set the house in order. It is noteworthy that he has transferred as many as 32 Deputy Development Commissioners (DDC) out of 37 total districts. This huge transfer is being seen in this backdrop also. Comparatively young officers have been posted so that performance is enhanced because the government is left with less than a year only for the completion of its term.