Nagaon, June 2: The state government is introducing a slew of reforms in the rural development sector to ensure that centrally sponsored schemes are implemented in a more transparent, corruption-free and people-friendly manner.
Talking to The Telegraph today, state rural development minister Rockybul Hussain said the reforms would include introduction of smart cards for registered job-card holders, streamlining of the social audit system at the grassroots level and initiation of tough steps against rural development department employees who refuse to work in rural areas.
Hussain said the smart cards would free NREGA job-card holders from the hassle of queuing up at banks for receiving payments against jobs, and would, in-turn, help them receive payments right on their doorsteps.
The smart card was introduced by the Andhra Pradesh government in 2009-10 to clear payments under NREGA. In this system, each job-card holder is issued a biometric ATM-like card that can be swiped on a mobile payment system. Authorised agents of banks or other financial institutions carry these systems to the doorsteps of the smart card holders, who can then avail their payments through a simple card-swipe.
Principal secretary of the panchayat and rural development department, Arun Kumar, said smart cards would be introduced in the state very soon, as the government had already completed all departmental formalities.
“Last year, we had a sitting with banks and other financial institutions regarding the introduction of the system. But we had to wait for some time as the banks requested the government to pay them 2 per cent of the project fund as administrative cost for implementation of the system. We moved again and recently submitted the final proposal to the finance department.”
Hussain, accompanied by a high-level team from the panchayat and rural development department, including Kumar, also visited Raha development block and suspended two employees — gram sevak Siddik Ali and junior assistant Anjana Bhattacharyya — because of unauthorised absence from duty.
“Villagers want their block development officer and junior engineer within the development block campus all the time, but the latter control their office duties from the district headquarters. This will not be tolerated anymore. Schemes must be implemented properly and special stress must be given on social audit,” Hussain said.
NREGA was introduced in four districts of the state in 2005. It was expanded to cover the entire state in 2007. According to state government records, there are altogether 43,54,569 registered job-card holders in the state.
