PANJIM: The Government of India has warned Goa and other States that it will not release funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) schemes from next financial year if they do not appoint Ombudspersons in 80 per cent of their districts, where the schemes have been implemented.
As per the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Division of Ministry of Rural Development, Goa, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh and Telangana and Union Territories namely Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli do not have a single Ombudsperson for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme
As per Section 30, Schedule I of the MGNREGA Act, the States are mandated to appoint an Ombudsperson for each district for receiving grievances, enquiring and passing awards as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Rural Development.
The Ministry has also expressed its concern over some States appointing persons belonging to political parties as Ombudsman, which is a key part of implementing the MGNREGA that provides employment to thousands of workers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry for Rural Development on Friday launched Ombudsperson App for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA for smooth reporting and categorisation of grievances by Ombudsperson based on complaints he received from various sources viz physical, digital and mass media, related to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme in the States and Union Territories (UTs).
The app will enable easy tracking and timely passing of awards by Ombudsperson on each case as per the guidelines. Ombudsperson can also easily upload the quarterly and annual reports on the website through the app, which is a step towards e-governance and it will be helpful in ensuring transparency and accountability.
