Set up Empowered Committee for monitoring NREGA implementation

New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) The Second Central Administrative Reform Commission headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily said an Inter-ministerial Empowered Steering Committee should be set up under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to remove any differences, bottlenecks and lack of synergy in its implemenation.

The Commission in its report titled 'Unlocking Human Capital: Entitlements and Governance-case study' which focussed on NREGA and the Bharat Nirman Programme felt the Inter-Ministerial Group should be given adequate power to be able to take ''timely and appropriate decisions for effective and accountable 'implementation of the concerned programmes.'' The Empowered Committee would give directions to bring an integrated approach towards the flagship programmes of the UPA government.

The Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and having Secretaries of concerned Ministries/ Departments as members would not only help in better coordination in the implementation of the Act at the national, state and district level but also ensure the cooperation of the local governments in the implementation of the programmes.

The need for this Committee was in view of the multiplicity of agencies/ authorities having been set up at the national, state and district level.

The Empowered Committee may be required to submit periodic reports to the Prime Minister and concerned ministers and also raise specific issues for decision at a higher level alongwith a detailed analysis and reommendations on each issue which could be placed before the Cabinet Committee, the Commission suggested.

The panel has also recommended setting up of a Task Force comprising representatives from Rural Development Ministry alongwith Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Labour and state government representatives. It would help in resolving the difference of opinion in the various departments especially Finance and Rural Development-- of the central government and also remove the present discripencies in the minimum wages to be provided under the Act.

Under the present act, each state is required to give the minimum wages prevalent in that particular state under the Minimum Wages Act. However, as the minimum wages in various states vary from Rs 50 in Gujarat and Tripura to Rs 125 in Delhi, people are getting paid differently for the same amount of work.

Even within a state/UT minimum wages vary as in Pondicherry's Karaikal area it was Rs 45 for five hours for women and Rs 54 for six hours for men while in the Yanam region of the UT, it was Rs 55 for five hours for women and Rs 65 for six hours for men, the commission pointed out.

The panel has also recommended that the funds from the central government should be sent directly to 200 districts in which NREGA is being implemented at present. This would help in reducing the delay in the receipt of funds at the utilisation level since timely availability of the fund was essential for the schemes under NREGA.

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