Panchayat dept asks officials to submit report on NREGA

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 3: The principal secretary of the panchayat and rural development (P&RD) department, Dr MN Roy, has asked district officials to prepare an updated report on the progress of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The report would collect information on the individual performance of each gram panchayat (GP) for submission at a review meeting with Central officials in Kolkata on 11 February.

While the state-wide rate is still poor, having achieved only 15 average person-days per household (APDPH) of the 100-day job target, the P&RD stresses the importance of showcasing individual gram panchayats where the APDPH is higher than the state and district average.

According to the Malda district nodal officer, only four GPs out of 146 have been able to provide more than 50 average person-days per household (APDPH) of the 100-day job target.

The Majampur GP in Kaliachak I block has recorded 51 APDPH, spending more than Rs 50 lakh in the period up until December of last year. The Bhabuk GP in Old Malda block achieved 63 APDPH in the same period, spending Rs 53.41 lakh.

The highest figure, 89 APDPH, was recorded at the Dakshin Chandipur GP in Bhutni Diara Island under Manikchak block. The Noorpur GP in Manikchak block is recorded as the second highest, achieving 80 APDPH.

However, according to Mr Ranjit Mandal, the district nodal officer of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, these figures may be misleading, due to some gram panchayats failing to engage a sufficient number of families under the act.

Mr Mandal explained: “Dakshin Chandipur has engaged only 402 families, according to the registered labourers’ demand. As a result, of the small number of families under the act, they have managed to achieve 89 average person-days per household. Similarly, Noorpur GP has engaged only 91 families, according to demands. As a result, they have managed to achieve the high figure of 80 APDPH".

On the other hand, Bhagabanpur GP in Chanchal I block had spent more than Rs 50 lakh and provided jobs to 3,593 households in the same period, yet from its low APDPH - recorded as only 9 - it appears that the GP is doing badly. Similarly, Motiharpur GP in the same block has achieved only 5 APDPH despite providing jobs to 1,141 families.

In an effort to increase the district-wide APDPH figure (currently 15), Malda DM Mr Sridhar Ghosh has called a meeting to be held tomorrow in Chanchal subdivision where the performance of five blocks out of six has been found to be well below average.

The district nodal officer of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has called a meeting with the assistant programme officer and joint programme officers to review the situation for preparing a district-wide report on the various successes and failures of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The meeting will be held on Thursday.