SHARING VIEWS: Pochamma, a wage-seeker, interacting with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, at Kottapalli in Yacharam mandal of Ranga Reddy district on Friday. (Right) A. Santhi Kumari, Commissioner, Rural Development, brie fing Dr. Ahluwalia on the rural job scheme implementation. — Photos: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday said guidelines of the Centrally-sponsored schemes would be reviewed when the Eleventh Plan begins on April 1, to facilitate greater flexibility and convergence of various programmes from the village-level onwards.

Reviewing the implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, with the District Collectors on the occasion of its first anniversary, Dr. Ahluwalia said changes were necessary to make the programmes effective.

While stressing on convergence of schemes, he wanted a debate on whether funds from other programmes could be used to top up resources required for National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Replying to presspersons' questions later, he said convergence would neither lead to dilution of National Rural Employment Guarantee Actnor diversion of funds.

Appearing impressed by the implementation of the job scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Ahluwalia said he would suggest Chief Ministers of other States when they meet him for finalising the Annual Plans, to emulate the Andhra Pradesh example.

He pointed out that Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram particularly wanted States to follow the Andhra Pradesh model of monitoring and computerised expenditure tracking.

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, who too showered praises on the Government, said there were four unique features. Apart from close and online expenditure tracking making the system transparent, social audit, reworking of schedule of rates that was later followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and payment of wages through post offices. Only thing that lacked was involvement of women's self-help groups.

Both Dr. Ahluwalia and Mr. Ramesh got a feel of the implementation through their interaction with the Collectors of Chittoor, Anantapur, Khammam, Medak and Nalgonda. Medak Collector B. Venkatesam briefed them about a new plan to issue Smart Cards to the wage earners enabling them to draw money at the village level.

Tank restoration

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said 12,000 tanks have been identified for restoration in the 13 districts where NREGA was being implemented.

He wondered if tractors could be used if the labourers come across hard soil. He wanted the district Collectors to promptly clear the wage payment for building the basement for houses.

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