NREGA flop show in Giridih

Giridih, Nov. 10: If records are anything to go by, implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in Giridih has been worse than expected.

The NREGA analysis report prepared by the district administration to find out whether the job guarantee act is being properly implemented in panchayats has revealed some shock figures.

There are 385 panchayats in Giridih. In at least 198 of them, not a single NREGA scheme has been implemented in this fiscal. Even panchayats comprising as many as seven villages have been left out.

Under the act it is mandatory that all villages get at least three jobs. There are 2,761 revenue villages in Giridih. But not many of them have been covered by the NREGA schemes.

The report, which has been submitted recently, has left senior administrative officials shocked. The neglected panchayats fall in all the 12 blocks of Giridih. Dumri has borne the maximum brunt. At least 41 panchayats in this block have not seen a single NREGA scheme. Bengabad is better off with only two neglected panchayats.

Shedding light on the reason behind such a dismal record, sources claimed that block development officers (BDOs) had failed to forward the files to the district rural and development authority (DRDA) — the NREGA execution agency. The total NREGA fund for 2008-09 is Rs 53.86 crore. So far, Rs 37.57 crore has been spent.

“There is no co-ordination between different departments in the district. So, despite funds the schemes are yet to be implemented in at least 60 per cent panchayats,” said Bagoder MLA Vinod Singh.

Giridih deputy commissioner Vandana Dadel was not available for comments.