Even as the Union Budget has increased the allocation for MNREGA by Rs. 5,000 crore, the State government plans to reduce misuse of the scheme by shifting focus from public works to individual needs.
From now on, farmers who take up works such as rainwater harvesting, soil enrichment or horticulture in their fields will be able to avail themselves of the benefits of MNREGA.
Bidar is among the districts where the new guidelines are being implemented in the first phase.
“We expect this will leave little space for diversion or misuse,” Munish Moudgil, Commissioner, MNREGA, told The Hindu . “The important changes are focus on individual asset creation, inclusion of horticulture crops and creation of readymade estimates.” He said that transfer of entire funds to the beneficiary account is a departure from the system of disbursal of wages from the gram panchayats. The new system is expected to eliminate the menace of middlemen.
Under the new guidelines, farmers who want to take up such works need to submit an application at their gram panchayat.
The farmer will be given a work order and the money will be deposited in his bank account. The zilla panchayats have published estimates of around 50 such works. In the next phase, the issue of work order will be automated and speeded up, the Commissioner said.
This will apply to below poverty line families, small farmers and those from SC/ST communities.
“This would cover around 80 per cent of the farming community,” a senior officer in the Bidar ZP said.
