Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Focus on repairing irrigation channels

Work in progress: Renovation of irrigation canals and water bodies constitute major share of the work undertaken under the National Rural Employment Scheme in Erode district.

ERODE: The district administration has taken up renovation of irrigation channels as a major work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

In the scheme that is under implementation in 50 per cent of he 343 panchayats in the district, 198 works have been taken up.

As many as 82 of the works taken up are renovation of irrigation canals, says District Collector Mahesan Kasirajan. Of the remaining works, 24 have to do with creation of new ponds, and the rest renovation of existing ponds.

For executing the work, the Union Government has allotted Rs. 82 crore for the district. So far the district administration has spent 1.2 crore for the purpose.

Almost all of the expenditure has gone towards wages Rs. 80 a day irrespective of age, caste, creed and gender.

Persons selected under the NREGS work for six days a week. No middlemen are allowed and no machinery is to be used. Project Officer of District Rural Development Agency S. S. Kumar says 2.06 lakh people have registered in the district. Of them, 1.50 lakh are women.

His department oversees the implementation of the programme. Mr. Kumar says the total cost of the works undertaken is Rs. 29.96 crore. The work, at least as far as irrigation canals are concerned, is mostly at branch canals or in small stretches at the major canals like the LBP.

Since the work is to be carried out manually, we undertaken only those stretches where it is humanly possible to renovate. The district officials, in response to journalists’ questions, ruled out corruption in giving wages. At the panchayat level, a payment committee oversees payments, which is checked by officials.

Mr. Kasirajan says he has not received complaints regarding payment irregularities as yet.

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