MGNREGS yet to pick up pace in Udupi this year

Mahtama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the flagship programme of the Union government has been implemented in all the 203 gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada. However, the work under the Scheme for the year 2012-13 has not yet picked up in Udupi district.

There are 146 gram panchayats in Udupi district. Out of 61 gram panchayats in Udupi taluk, only 12 have implemented the work; Of the 56 gram panchayats in Kundapur taluk, 27 have started the work and out of 29 in Karkala taluk, 24 have started the work.

As many as 35,102 job cards have been issued in Udupi district. In Dakshina Kannada, 74,863 job cards have been issued. Though job cards have been issued to 35,102 households, employment has been provided to only 2,577 households in Udupi district.

The persondays is 59,166. A total of Rs 9.85 crore has been earmarked in the scheme. However, between April and November first week, only Rs 58 lakh has been utilised.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Ombudsman in Udupi Rajeev Shetty said that lack of awareness and lack of involvement of the implementing  officials are the main reason behind poor implementation of the programme.

“Villagers are not aware of the scheme and the benefits of the scheme. The officials have failed to create awareness on the same. Even individual works are not promoted in the district.

“Now, as a Ombudsman, I have been motivating the Sthree Shakthi grpup members to take up the work. Once all the Sthree Shakthi members complete registering their names in the scheme and avail job cards, we may expect some good result in the district,” he added.

He said “in Udupi taluk, the performance is very poor. However, the officials cite the reason of CRZ. If CRZ rules were hampering the implementation of the scheme, then individual work could have been promoted, which they have failed totally,” he added.
On othe contrary, in Dakshina Kannada district, 5,847 households have been given employment since April.

DK Ombudsman Sheena Shetty said that Nidle, Amaramudnoor and Kolnadu gram panchayats have provided employment to highest number of households so far. In fact, Konlandu has utilised Rs 30.26 lakh, Nidle—29.84 lakh and Amaramudnoor—Rs 23. 72 lakh till November 9.

Among the Naxal-infested gram panchayats, Naravi and Indabettu gram panchayats have implemented the scheme effectively. In Naravi, the action plan has been modified to take up 71 work at a cost of Rs 11.84 lakh, by the poor SC/ST beneficiaries, he added.