CHENNAI: Despite embarking on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme after other States, Tamil Nadu is now focussing on accelerating the implementation of the programme and fine-tuning the methods of execution.

Launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Andhra Pradesh on February 2 last year, the scheme could not take off in Tamil Nadu as the State was then bracing for Assembly elections. Six districts — Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Sivaganga and Dindigul — were chosen, but were plagued by problems like the payment of low wages.

The new regime, which assumed power in May, is addressing them one after another.

(Under the scheme, renovation of existing ponds, temple tanks and other water bodies, creation of new ponds, removal of silt from channels, strengthening bunds, formation of roads and other water conservation/soil conservation measures/flood protection measures are taken up. The Central and State Governments fund the costs in the ratio of 90:10.)

With the end of the harvest season, authorities are keen to ensure execution of the job scheme for the next seven months so that rural people are employed during the off-season, an official in the Rural Development department said.

A significant aspect of the scheme is that women, particularly those belonging to the Scheduled Castes category, constitute most of the workforce.

Separate rates

In July, the Government approved a separate rural schedule of rates as it was found that people seeking jobs under the scheme were unable to get the statutory minimum wage of Rs. 80 per day owing to the PWD (Public Works Department) schedule of rates. In Nagapattinam district, many smaller channels were given a fresh lease of life owing to the scheme, the official added.

In all the six selected districts, an average 46 per cent of households have been registered under the scheme. Of the 3,830 village panchayats covered, only 16 are yet to achieve 30 per cent registration.

Avoiding middlemen

Several steps have been taken to eliminate the scope for pilferage and involvement of contractors. Works costing Rs. 3 lakh each are being taken up. Though the scheme provides for material component, the authorities are ensuring that such works are dovetailed with other schemes. While district-level officers undertake inspections every week, State-level officers do it on a fortnightly basis.

Conscious of the difficulties in monitoring the progress of the scheme, the Government has sanctioned additional technical and computer staff for blocks and panchayats.

The State Government has urged the Centre to extend the scheme to other districts as well.

Demand for higher wages

Conceding that Nagapattinam and Sivaganga lagged behind other districts in offering employment to registered households, the official said that people could not be roped in for the scheme in Nagapattinam due to the harvest season. Vis-à-vis Sivaganga, there was a demand for higher wages.

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