The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Job programme gathering momentum

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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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Kerala - Kochi

Job programme gathering momentum

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The preparatory works for the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) is gathering momentum in the district. The State government, which had relaunched the programme in the district on May Day, had identified three districts—Ernakulam, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram—lagging in the implementation.

The Akshaya centres, entrusted with the task of taking photographs of those registering under the Programme, have intensified their work. The photographs will be used to issue a job card and open a savings bank account. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Poverty Alleviation Unit (PAU), the implementing agency of NREGP, and the District Akshaya project office. Akshaya centres in six panchayats—Pallipuram, Elamkunnapuzha, Kalady, Choornikkara, Kunnukara and Poothrikka—out of the 88 panchayats in the district had completed their assignment. The centres in Pallipuram and Poothrikka panchayats have photographed around 1,200 applicants; majority of these are women. So far, 1.22 lakh people have registered under the Programme in the district.

Joseph Abraham, Project Director, PAU, said most of the panchayats had purchased digital cameras so that Akshaya centres without cameras could use it. An Akshaya entrepreneur will receive Rs. 6.25 from each applicant for taking his photograph and printing four copies of it. Since it is not feasible for each entrepreneur to print copies of photographs, it was decided to entrust the printing work with a select entrepreneur.

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