Centre to replicate AP's IT initiative in NREGS implementation

Hyderabad, Aug 14 (UNI) The Centre is keen on replicating the Andhra Pradesh Government's IT initiative nation-wide to facilitate social audit for the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, (NREGS) Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said today.

Inaugurating the Telugu version of the website, developed jointly by the State Rural Development Department and IT major Tata Consultancy Services for the first time in the country, he said the Centre was working out an arrangement with the company, which had provided the software free of cost in Andhra Pradesh, for developing software in other regional languages and providing training for making the ambitious scheme a success.

The Centre was considering enhancing the provision for administrative expenses from the present two per cent to six per cent to meet IT-related expenses, he added.

Formally launching the social audit initiative by releasing the 'village social auditor handbook', Andhra Pradesh Rural Development Minister D Srinivas said the scheme, a brainchild of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, eliminated the role of middlemen and contractors and ensured equal wages for both men and women.

The Centre would provide Rs 3,750 crores from the Backward Regions Grant Fund to all the districts, where the NREGS scheme was being implemented for building durable infrastructure and integrate the Self-Help Groups structure with the Panchayati Raj Institutions, the Union Minister said.

Taking a serious view of the payment of Rs 250 per day, per worker in some places in Anantapur district, he underscored the need for forming 'Ambudsgroup' and 'flying squads' to act on complaints of irregularities in implementation of the scheme and award deterrent punishment to erring persons. ''If this scheme does not succeed, no other scheme will succeed'', he felt and exhorted all concerned to work earnestly to remove deficiencies.

He said he would take up with the Post Master General complaints that poor workers were being harassed by some Post Masters, who were entrusted with the task of making payments to the labourers.

Mr Ramesh urged the media, non-governmental organisations and citizens to expose any deficiency in the scheme's implementation for the administration and to take corrective steps.

Andhra Pradesh was being looked as a model by various states in the implementation of development programmes like 'Indira Kranti Pathakam' and the ''Jalayagnam', the State Government's representative in New Delhi, Mr Ravi said.

UNI SM ROY PB HT1730