MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement as referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred
Question No. 376 for answer on 06.09.2012.
(a) to (c): As per the Operational Guidelines of the Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), one of the activities of the
Gram Panchayat is monitoring the implementation of the MGNREGA at the
village level. Further, as per the said Guidelines, for every work sanctioned under
MGNREGA, there should be a village specific local Vigilance and Monitoring
Committee (V&MC) composed of members of the locality or village where the
work is undertaken, to monitor the progress and quality of work while it is under
progress. The members of this committee are to be elected by the Gram Sabha.
The Programme Officer is responsible to ensure that local V&MCs are constituted.
The Ministry has the mechanism of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees
(V&MCs) at State and District levels which are expected to review the
implementation of all programmes of Ministry of Rural Development, including
MGNREGA, wherein Members of Parliament, State legislatures and other elected
representatives are given crucial role. Any gross violation noticed by the V&MCs,
are to be conveyed to the Ministry of Rural Development.
(d) & (e): Irregularities which came to the notice of the V&MC for Shahdol
district in Madhya Pradesh during field visits in the year 2010-11 were brought to
the notice of the Ministry by the district V&MC. The matter was referred to the
State Government for necessary action. The District Collector had informed that
appropriate action was taken in the matter. The Ministry has asked the District
Collector, in August 2011, to furnish a copy of Action Taken Report in the matter
to the Chairperson of the V&MC also.
