The Hindu Business Line : Panel submits report on job scheme

Under the Chairmanship of Dr Jayant Patil, ex- Member Planning Commission, recommendations have been tabled in for bringing in transparency to the employment guarantee scheme (EGS).

The report had been brought in March 2005. About 40 suggestions have been placed and an officers committee has been appointed to take a look at these suggestions to bring better returns to the people.

Talking to presspersons, Mr Harshvardhan Patil, Union Minister of State for Employment Guarentee Scheme, Marketing, Women and Child Development and Parliamentary Affairs, said the report by the new committee would be ready within three months after which it would be brought to the Cabinet.

Some of the major recommendations include payment to the labourers, jatropha cultivation, maximum transparency and allotment of Central Government funds, he said.

He noted that so far for the MREGS (Mahrashtra Rural Employment Guarentee Scheme) about Rs 400 crore has been allotted to the State and is expecting another allotment of Rs 600 crore, taking the total to Rs 1,000 crore for the current fiscal.

He noted this would be utilised for 12 districts. For EGS, an allotment of Rs 2,400 crore has been set aside which would be used in 21 districts in the State.

Transparency

Mr Patil also pointed out that to bring in maximum transparency it has been decided to route the payment to the workers either through banks or through post offices.

He noted that this was a major route for frauds as funds were being doled out for finished work or even incomplete work. "Sometimes even the number of labourers were shown high to get funds," he said.

With jatropha cultivation being brought to the front for the production of biodiesel, he noted that this has also been brought under the EGS while pointing out that there was no guarantee by the Government to buyback the produce.

He stressed that only wasteland could be brought under this cultivation.

He added that if there was a requirement to amend the EGS Act, the State Government was willing to do it.

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