Scribes sensitised to details of MGNREGA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 22 2016:
A State level orientation programme for journalists on MGNREGA was organised by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (MGNREGA Monitoring Cell), Government of Manipur at the conference hall of Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul today.
The programme was graced by JC Ramthanga, Principal Secretary, RD and PR, Wangkhemcha Shamjai,
president, AMWJU and Dr K Shyamsunder Singh, Director, RD and PR as presidium members.
Speaking at the programme, JC Ramthanga said that the reason why MGNREGA could not be implemented successfully in the State is because many people are yet to understand the benefits of the scheme.
Another reason is the failure to provide utilization certificates on time.
MGNREGA not only provides daily wages to the rural people but also provides various other ways to bring development in rural areas.
Only when the guidelines under MGNREGA are followed by the authority concerned while executing the works, will there be overall development, JC Ramthanga added.
Wangkhemcha Shamjai said that the State Government and the authority concerned should work hand in hand to ensure that the work is implemented according to the prescribed guidelines.
State Nodal Officer, IEC (MGNREGA) Kh Ibochouba Singh said that the earlier approach of MGNREGS was only to provide job opportunities to villagers.
Now the approach has changed towards providing livelihood to people.
Initiation of works under the scheme can be divided into individual and community work.
60 percent of MGNREGS work should be agricultural related works, he added.
AIR Imphal News Editor Dr A Ibomcha Sharma said the role of the media is very crucial while trying to achieve the target and objectives of the Government schemes.
He further appealed to media fraternity to cover news not only on the non-fulfilment area of work under MGNREGS but also on its extensively successful works.
It may be noted that to keep track of assets created under the rural job guarantee scheme, the Ministry of 'Rural Development and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday signed an agreement on geo-tagging the assets.
The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for online recording and monitoring of assets to check leakages.
Arourid three million assets are created annually across the country under the rural jobs scheme, according to the Ministry of Rural Development.
The scheme, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), offers at least 100 days of manual work every year to one member of every rural household.
Under the agreement, it is envisaged that a Gram Rozgar Sahayak or junior engineer will take a photo of an asset created by beneficiaries of the scheme and through a mobile app created by Isro upload the photo on the Bhuvan web portal run by Isro'National Remote Sensing Centre.
When the photo is uploaded on the mobile app, the location and time will get encrypted and there will be an option to add more information according to a few parameters.