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Centre has initiated a national level consultation for framing the guidelines for implementation of newly enacted National Rural Employment Guarantee Act., 2005 (NREGA). Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Ministers and Secretaries of Rural Development of States in a conference of State Rural Development Ministers on NREGA, 2005 here today. (The text of Prime Minister’s Speech is available in a separate release at PIB Website. Pib.nic.in.)
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad, Minister for Rural Development said that successful implementation of National Employment Guarantee Act would depend on the support and cooperation of the State Governments, Pachayati Raj Institutions and Civil Societies. The Minister further said that guidelines for the implementation of the Act shall be prepared only after having suggestions, opinions and inputs from State Government, Experts, Panchayats and NGOs to make its implementation meaningful and comprehensive. The Minister informed that the Centre has recently invited suggestions from these groups including common people which will be evaluated and taken into consideration while framing the guidelines. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad also stated that transparency and public accountability would be of critical importance in the whole process and as such a strict vigilance and monitoring mechanism is envisaged.
A decision has been taken to set up an inter-state advisory group to ensure a proper representation of States’ viewpoints and perspectives on guidelines and rules. Participating State Ministers also offered their suggestions in the meeting. Today’s meeting is first in the series of such consultative meetings to be held in future. The consultation process would include finding modalities on major issues connected with the implementation of the Act like process of registration; steps needed to ensure time bound employment; identification of key records and their maintenance; roles and responsibilities of different agencies; social audit system; fund flow system etc.
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 has been enacted recently to provide not less than 100 days of guarantee employment to every household in rural areas whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Conference was addressed amongst others by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Also present on the occasion were Ministers of State for Rural Development Smt. Surya Kanta Patil, S/Shri A. Narendera, Member Planning Commission B.N. Yugandhar and Secretary Rural Development Pratyush Sinha.
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