The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Meet reviews Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 02, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Meet reviews Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Tejas Ewing

CHENNAI: "Rethinking Approaches to the Delivery of Public Services" was the focus of a recent workshop in Chennai, which provided a thorough examination of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The event, which attracted over 60 delegates from NGOs, government and the private sector, was organised by the Public Expenditure Round Table in association with the Institute of Management Consultants (India) and held at the Department of Management Studies at the University of Madras. With a focus on good governance and fiscal responsibility, the event produced a number of important suggestions and ideas.

The event included a technical session, dealing with the idea of certification as a way of making specific government projects more efficient. The workshop also provided feedback on improvements to the Rural Employment Guarantee Act. For example, a panel discussion featuring Venkat Chary, former Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra, suggested that "all administrative machinery must be prepared before the act is implemented." This would involve integrating the act with other development programmes, and making sure staff and panchayat officials were well trained.

Equally important was making sure that the beneficiaries of the act are well informed and encouraged to use the entitlements responsibly, through all levels of communication, such as awareness campaigns and the media.

Furthermore, the discussion recommended strong linkages and consultation with state governments.

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