State ombudsmen remain incapacitated
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 18 2011: Ombudsmen appointed by the State Government to closely monitor implementation of the UPA's flagship programme MGNREGS remain incapacitated, unable to serve their basic purpose.

The quasi-judicial posts of ombudsman established in all districts of the State have turned out to be flops.

Lack of necessary staff and infrastructure are the prime factors for the abject failure of the office of ombudsman, said Imphal East district ombudsman N Angou and deputy ombudsman Joykumar.

Speaking to media persons today, Angou and Joykumar said that their office was set up in June last year in only two rooms attached to the office of Imphal East DRDA office.

But necessary staff like computer operators, peons and sweepers have not been appointed till date.

There is only one runner for the office.

The office has been facing lot of difficulties and severe limitations in handling all complaints and issuing necessary notices on account of absence of necessary staff and infrastructure, they said.

Because of the acute shortage of staff, many complaints filed by job card holders could not be examined.

Till October this year, 105 different complaints were filed by job-card holders belonging to different Gram Panchayats of Imphal East district.

Except for some Gram Panchayats close to district headquarters, complaints coming from far off Gram Panchayats could not be looked into.

As such, many cases could not be settled causing disappointment and discontentment among the complainants, they said.

Meanwhile, some job-card holders of Changamdabi Gram Panchayat came to the office of Imphal East ombudsman to file a complaint regarding certain ambiguities and disputes in MGNREGS works.

But on seeing the condition of the office, the job-card holders went back without filing any complaint.

Nevertheless, they appealed to the Government to pay due attention to all ombudsman offices of the State so that they can serve their fundamental purposes.

Rs 50 crores for rural infrastructure: For development of infrastructure in rural areas of the State, Manipur would get Rs 50 crores from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund.

A meeting of Rural Infrastructure Development Committee headed by the Chief Secretary is Chairman was held today.

The meeting discussed about project which would be taken up with the rural infrastructure development fund, informed an official source.

The committee has recommended certain projects out of the many projects proposed by IFCD, MI Department, Health, Sericulture and Fishery Departments.

The State would get the amount of Rs 50 crores from NABARD as loan, added the source.

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