Good income from apple orchards and industrial units has kept people away from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in 68 panchayats of Himachal Pradesh, resulting into these panchayats turning defaulters in starting even a single work under the scheme during the current financial year that would end in next three months. The state government has now decided to launch special awareness campaigns in these panchayats to motivate people to join the scheme.
The basic objective of MNREGS is to provide for enhancement of livelihood security of households in rural areas of the state by providing 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year. But in Himachal Pradesh in many panchayats finding manpower to execute work under MNREGS has become a challenging task as villagers prefer other jobs than working under MNREGS where only Rs 138 is paid per day.
Shimla district, known as apple heartland of the state, has the maximum 30 panchayats where not even a single work could be started this year due to people's reluctance to provide required labour. Sources said people in Shimla prefer to work in apple orchards than to toil under MNREGS. Sources said that in Sirmaur district 15 panchayats under Paonta sub-division have failed to start work under MNREGS as people are busy working in mines or industries and similar is the case in Solan district.
Officials from the state panchayat department said that earlier there were 151 panchayats in Himachal Pradesh which failed to start required works under MNREGS, thus posing threat of fund lapse besides affecting developmental activities at grassroot level. "After notices were issued to these panchayats for zero performance, around 85 panchayats have now started work under MNREGS while there are 68 panchayats across the state where not even a single work under the scheme has been started," added the official.
Concerned over non-implementation of UPA government's flagship programme in so many panchayats, rural development and panchayati raj minister Anil Sharma had called a meeting to review the situation. Panchayati raj department deputy director B D Sharma said that better job opportunity available to people has resulted into non-availability of labour in panchayats. He said that earning good income from apple orchards, industries and mines, especially in Shimla, Una, Solan, Sirmaur and some other districts, people are reluctant to work under MNREGS where only Rs 138 per day wages are provided for 100 days.
Sharma said as 68 panchayats have not been able to carry even a single work this year, now the department has decided to create awareness among people. He said that awareness programmes would be launched at village level soon. "There is need to motivate people as developmental work should not be affected," he added.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/No-takers-for-MNREGS-in-68-Himachal-Pradesh-panchayats/articleshow/26757270.cms?cfmid=11000000
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