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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NREGA convergence with water storage & Krishi Vikas planned, says Jairam Ramesh

NREGA convergence with water storage & Krishi Vikas planned, says Jairam Ramesh

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published Published on Jul 20, 2011   modified Modified on Jul 20, 2011
The Rural Development Ministry seems to be a familiar ground for Jairam Ramesh . No sooner was he given the new portfolio, he announced that the two bills related to land acquisition would be clubbed. The minister spells out his priorities in an exclusive interview with ET. Excerpts:

What will be the key motif for the omnibus land acquisition law you are proposing?

The bill will be facilitative not restrictive. It will be a single one dealing with land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement. There needs to be a balancing act. We must recognise land is inevitable for industrialisation and urbanisation, without losing sensitivity to public concern that existing legislation does not address needs of land owners and livelihood dependents.

What will the bill say on land acquisition by the State for private sector?

It will support acquisition for a public purpose. But acquisition of land for private use is open for discussion. Thus far, all cases of land acquisition have been for clearly defined public purpose. Central to the debate is a clearly defined resettlement and rehabilitation package.

Your government's political showpiece, the job guarantee programme, is badly run and under attack.

We will focus on eliminating leakages. The most immediate concern is the ground-level implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. We plan to make it mandatory for states to put in place a transaction-based management information system, as in AP, from the block level up.

Delays in payment beyond 15 days, as provided by the Act, a key concern, would be addressed through this. MGNREGA is a 40,000 crore programme. It has to be used to build permanent assets, even while distress employment continues.

We are working on including rural infrastructure such as rejuvenation of water storage systems. This is the single-most important intervention in the rural economy. There is no sense in having a separate 2,500-crore watershed management programme. We plan to ensure that there is convergence of MGNERGA with it. Also with the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, now with the Agriculture Ministry. There is the issue of social audits; this needs to be strengthened.

But 100 days of guaranteed employment mandated by the Act is not being provided.

State governments are the main reason why 100 days of guaranteed employment is not met. Even though the Centre releases the funds in time, states are unable to ensure that payment reach beneficiaries in time, resulting in fewer man-days of work. A transaction-based monitoring system from block level upwards will ensure timely flow of funds.

Why hasn't this been addressed even five years after the legislation has been in place?

The state ombudsman has failed to perform. The Centre must take a more activist role in monitoring and auditing. It has every right to ask for greater accountability from the states. What I want to put in place is a tightly-controlled system of greater accountability. I am meeting the CAG to discuss this mechanism.

There's dearth of farm labour after MGNREGA...

The upward pressure on rural wages is a good thing. This in turn has challenged the rural power structure. None of this is bad. But we must build a compromise that is mindful of the needs of agriculture and the objectives of MGNREGA.

How do you propose to tailor the ministry's programmes in Maoist-hit districts?

There is great difficulty in implementing schemes in these districts. I have met with the Panchayati Raj minister to discuss how crucial programmes can be better implemented.

The most-important of the programmes is the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, or PMGSY. While at an all-India level, 59% of the target has been met under this scheme, in the Maoist-affected districts less than 35% targets have been met. The main problem is getting contractors.

Implementing PMGSY would ensure accessibility and connectivity and change the lot of the rural poor in these areas.

Simultaneously, we need to look at livelihood issues, by ensuring that MGNREGA and rural livelihood mission, Aajivika is implemented. I am exploring the possibility of extra flexibility for implementation in these districts. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has suggested re-looking at the norms for these districts.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/nrega-convergence-with-water-storage-krishi-vikas-planned-says-jairam-ramesh/articleshow/9290828.cms


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