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The government has renamed its flagship rural job guarantee programme -– the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme -- after Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary. The Centre has also decided to appoint 100 prominent people from across the country to carry out independent evaluations and monitoring of the scheme
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s flagship job scheme that provides 100 days of work in a financial year to every rural household, will now be called the Mahatma National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The new name was unveiled on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, on October 2, 2009, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing it to a gathering of heads of villages in New Delhi to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of panchayati raj. “This is a small effort to pay homage to the Mahatma who always believed in gram swaraj. This is a pious and historic day,” the prime minister said. Flooded with complaints about corruption in NREGS works, the Centre has also decided to appoint 100 prominent people from across the country to carry out independent evaluations and monitoring of the scheme. The idea is to openly discuss its performance and share details with gram panchayats and villagers so that the scheme can be implemented well and transparency brought in. “We have decided to identify 100 eminent citizens to report independently on the progress of the scheme. The process is underway,” Union Minister for Rural Development C P Joshi said. He said his ministry was preparing the essential criteria for selection of the independent monitors who will be from different walks of life. “After we finish preparing the criteria for their selection, we will post the proposal on our website inviting people to suggest the names of persons of their choice,” Joshi said. While welcoming the step, however, critics warn about red-tapism. “We are doing it in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, and I am a member. The state government is promoting it. It’s a good concept as it will bring down corruption, but it can be a daunting task for just one person,” said noted social activist Aruna Roy. Similar appointments in other states are taking time. Rural development ministry officials said it could be at least another six months before the process is completed all over India. Source: Press Trust of India, October 2, 2009
Hindustan Times, October 2, 2009
DNA, September 30, 2009
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