NREGS amended to benefit Arunachalees: Mein

Itanagar, Sept 12 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Rural Development Minister Chowna Mein today disclosed that the state government has accorded approval from the Centre for making necessary changes while making payment under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). The Minister was responding to a special mention raised in the Assembly by MLA Honchun Ngandam regarding problem faced by beneficiaries in respect of job card and opening of bank account under NREGS.

Mr Mein said the centrally sponsored scheme launched during 2005 covered only Upper Subansiri district of the state, while Lohit and Changlang districts were covered under the scheme during 2007.

"The scheme aims at providing 100 days manual wages to adult members of rural household," he disclosed adding the concerned deputy commissioners and district rural development agencies were responsible to provide job card free of cost to all eligible persons willing to work under the scheme.

If a job card holder failed to get job after 15 days of getting the card, he could claim unemployment allowance, Mr. Mein told the Assembly and added that the state government had nominated gram panchayats as the sole implementing agency of the scheme while block development officer was entrusted with the job of project officer.

Earlier, raising the issue, the MLA said that the poor villagers were facing problems to get a job card or to open a bank account.

He also urged the government to initiate necessary steps so that payment to the beneficiaries under the scheme could be made easier instead of making payment through banks or post officies. The minister, however, disclosed that as par demand by panchayat leaders that payment under NREGS should be made on master roll basis, the state government has received approval from the Centre in this regard.

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