KB Saxena addresses participants at the meeting in Ranchi on Wednesday. (Hardeep Singh)

Ranchi, Sept. 14: The state government will run a pilot project in 12 districts to assess the positives and handicaps of MGNREGS in Jharkhand, promising to put problems affecting the tainted rural job scheme at the block level under the microscope.

A meeting between the deputy development commissioners concerned and a central team today revealed that a block each of the 12 districts had been selected and that civil society members and officials had already surveyed specific problems. As a result, while transparency will be the main focus of the project in Angara block of Ranchi district, at Torpa block of Khunti the stress will be on preparation of labour budget and the role of the gram panchayat.

The chosen blocks include Khuntpani (West Singbhum), Boarijore (Godda), Chhattarpur (Palamau), Topchanchi (Dhanbad), Gola (Ramgarh), sadar blocks in Koderma and Pakur, Bermo (Bokaro), Seraikela (Seraikela-Kharsawan) and Manika (Latehar).

The first-of-its-kind will focus on various aspects such as wage payment, transparency, grievance redress, demand for jobs and institutionalisation of social audits.

“This project will help the state understand our strengths and weaknesses in implementation of the job scheme,” state MGNREGS commissioner A.K. Singh said.

The union rural development ministry has constituted a team led by noted social activist Aruna Roy to guide the state in implementing the pilot project. The team also includes former IAS officers K.B. Saxena, Lalit Mathur and M.D. Asthana and former governor’s adviser Wilfred Lakra.

Saxena, Mathur, Asthana and Lakra attended the meeting, which was also graced by noted economist and MGNREGS architect Jean Dreze.

The central team will also hold discussions on executing the pilot project with the DCs of the 12 districts tomorrow.