MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. RAGHUVANSH PRASAD SINGH)
(a) & (b) : The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005 has been
notified in the Gazette of India on 7th September, 2005. The notification for applicability
of the Act is yet to be issued under section 1(3) of the Act. The objective of the Act is to
enhance the livelihood security of the rural households by providing at least 100 days of
guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult
members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
(c): The Act is likely to be implemented in 200 selected districts of the country in the first
phase. The process of identification of the districts has not yet been completed.
(d): Question does not arise.
(e): Wide ranging consultations have been held with State Governments, non-
governmental Organisations, scholars and eminent people with a view to finalising the
guidelines for the effective implementation of the Act. The draft guidelines have been
placed on the website of the Ministry. The guidelines have not yet been finalised.
(f): To ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Act,
provisions have been made in Section 23 of the Act which are as under :-
i) The District Programme Coordinator and all Implementing Agencies in
the District shall be responsible for the proper utilisation and management
of the funds placed at their disposal for the purpose of implementing a
Scheme.
(ii) The State Government may, by rules, determine the arrangements to be
made for the proper execution of Schemes and programmes under the
Scheme.
(iii) All payment of wages in cash and unemployment allowances shall be
made directly to the person concerned and in the presence of independent
persons of the community on pre-announced dates.
(iv) If any dispute or complaint arises concerning the implementation of a
Scheme by the Gram Panchayat, the matter shall be referred to the
Programme Officer.
(v) The Programme Officer shall enter every complaint in a complaint register
and shall dispose of the disputes and complaints within 7 days of its
receipt and in case it relates to a matter to be resolved by any other
authority it shall be forwarded to such authority under intimation to the
complainant.
Section 17 of the Act provides for social audit of works by Gram Sabha as under: -
i) The Gram Sabha shall monitor the execution of works within the Gram
Panchayat.
ii) The Gram Sabha shall conduct regular social audits of all the projects
under the Scheme taken up within the Gram Panchayat.
iii) The gram Panchayat shall make available all relevant documents including
the muster rolls, bills, vouchers, measurement books, copies of sanction
orders and other connected books of account and papers to the Gram
Sabha for the purpose of conducting the social audit.
