Centre asks states to ensure proper vigilance of rural dev works

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) The Centre has asked the State Governments to evolve a strict vigilance mechanism in order to ensure accuracy of muster rolls of Rural Development works.

Presiding over the regional Performance Review Meeting of Rural Development Programmes in Northern and Western region states here today, Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh urged the State Governments to make sure that the muster rolls are maintained fairly. He said social auditing and strict vigilance by monitoring committees would act as a deterrent in committing irregularities.

The performance of implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(NREGA), SGRY, SGSY, IAY, DRDA Administration, PMGSY, IWDP, DPAP and DPAP in Punjab, J&K,. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal were specifically reviewed during the day-long meeting.

On state wise review of NREGA, it was noticed that in certain States, the key personnel have not yet been deployed, MIS has not been operationalised and the level of utilisation of resources is low. It has, therefore, been highlighted that the States should take steps to improve the shortcomings so that the programme can get further momentum.

Reviewing the nature of works that has been undertaken under NREGA, it was highlighted that States should take measures to see that water conservation measures are given top priority.

So far under NREGA, more than 15,000 water conservation works have been completed in Uttar Pradesh and about more than 50,000 works have been completed in Rajasthan. Under NREGA, so far more than 90 lakh families have been provided with employment with an expenditure of more than Rs.2000 crore in the country.

Under SGRY, the implementation in almost all the States is going on at satisfactory pace. The states have utilised about 45 per cent of the available resources of this year.

The shortcomings in implementation of SGRY were focused and discussed. Some of the States are not incurring expenditure for individual benefit of SC/ST to the prescribed limit of 22.5 per cent, which was highlighted.

The States were asked to ensure that ban on contractors is to be strictly enforced and water conservation should get highest priority. Habitations of SC/ST should get due attention of the implementing agencies.

Under SGSY, more than 23.5 lakh SHGs have been formed, out of which 13.5 lakh SHGS have passed Grade-I, 6.5 lakh SHGs have passed Grade-II and 3.35 lakh groups have taken up economic activity. In the States under review, the SHG formation is not getting the desired momentum. The Minister has, therefore, desired all the States to engage NGOs and facilitators in big way to see that by 11th Plan every BPL family is brought under the SHG network.

He asked details of zero or less than 25 per cent lending branches. It was decided to send this list to Ministry of Finance and RBI so as to take action against the defaulter branches. For effective coordination, it was impressed upon that the SLBC, DLCC,&VLBC meetings are regularly held and this issue is regularly monitored by the State Secretaries.

Under PMGSY, a main component of the Bharat Nirman, state wise status of implementation was reviewed. For the State of Haryana, as against cumulative allocation of Rs.150 core, the Ministry has already sanctioned projects worth Rs.457 crore and a sum of Rs.156 Crore has been released.

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