process_NREGS
BHUBANESWAR: With the Centre fixing the wage under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) at Rs 100 a day per person, the flagship foodtext security programme will benefit job seekers in the State. While the minimum wage fixed by the State Government is Rs 90, registered job seekers under NREGS will now get Rs 10 more than the minimum wage.
The NREGS wage varies from state to state. There is no fixed wage under the scheme as the labour cost is decided as per time and motion scale. The labourers have to work more to earn more.
When the scheme was launched, the NREGS wage was Rs 50 as against the minimum wage of Rs 70 in the State. Initially, job seekers’ response to the scheme was tepid due to the low wage. The Government has to adopt the time and motion scale for wage determination to make the scheme more attractive.
Earlier, an unskilled worker who was entitled to get Rs 50 for digging up a 10-foot by 10-foot pit of one foot depth (ordinary soil) with standard lift of 1.5 metres and lead of 50 metres under standard scheduled rates (SSR) will now be eligible to earn Rs 100 for the same quantum of work.
Recently, the Government revised the minimum wage from Rs 80 to Rs 90.
Although the State has more than 52.50 lakh registered job seekers, there is poor demand for the scheme as the wage provided to the worker does not commensurate with their labour. This is the primary reason for large-scale migration of labourers from western Orissa districts, sources said.
In the month of August only 4.50 lakh applied for getting NREGS work and out of them only 3.52 lakh got the opportunity to get jobs.
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NREGS scheme..have u seen it at your place???
NREGS brings transparency to rural employment in Ganjam
V Karthikeya Pandian, IAS Collector and District Magistrate, Ganjam, Orissa State Government talked to Akhtar Pasha about the success of NREGS in rural employment
The implementation of the flagship employment generation program known as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Ganjam district has helped lakhs of poor people get work and ensured the prompt and hassle free payment of wages bringing in a new dimension to government run social security programmes.
Under NREGS, Ganjam district was taken up as a Phase 1 District and 3.67 lakh households were issued job cards. The challenge was to provide jobs to citizens on a huge scale, ensuring transparency and accountability and doing so in a time bound and people friendly manner. Therefore, we needed an IT system to manage and track the same. The focus in Ganjam district has been to put all information relating to NREGS in the public domain. The software for this was provided by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the data is hosted on the Web site nrega.nic.in.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been used in the best possible manner to streamline reporting, record keeping and information flow under NREGS. Relevant information has been kept in the public domain on the Web for easy access by citizens and other concerned persons.
The cash book maintained for NREGS is being operated through a software application called PAMIS (Project Accounting Monitoring Information System). This software has been provided by the Government of Orissa through its Panchayati Raj department and it is used by both the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and the Program Officers. It facilitates correct accounting without any errors and the system can generate reports such as availability of funds on a particular date or in a particular period with the DRDA/Program Officers. Clerical errors have largely been overcome thanks to this software process. A consolidated PAMIS cash book is in place since June 2007.
Ganjam district is one of the leading districts in the country in terms of online monitoring of the NREGS scheme. The margin between online and offline reporting is negligible; often it is less than 5%. Reports/Returns are filed online. All blocks of Ganjam have adequate ICT infrastructure and manpower. We have been able to replace Manual MPRs by the online MIS as only online expenditure is accepted as actual expenditure. Program Officers (POs) have made extra efforts to reduce the margin between online and manual reporting thereby reducing the gap to the present level of below 5%.This has helped in effective monitoring of Block and GP level performance on a daily basis.
For e.g., every morning, the Collector gets an MIS printout of the NREGS performance of all the blocks and his observations are sent in the form of a written note through e-mail to the POs for follow up action. This system of daily online monitoring helps in taking timely decisions which is crucial in the whole process. In the peak working season, GP-wise during 2007-08 and village-wise position were reviewed and monitored once a fortnight. The practice continues. Wide publicity of success stories and best practices through various channels including the Web have created enthusiasm and interest among beneficiaries besides inculcating a sense of confidence among stakeholders.
Without the help of MIS, it would have been difficult to monitor a program of this magnitude in a large district such as Ganjam. The district received the National Award for Excellence in NREGS administration.
Measuring the success of NREGS
NREGS is a social legislation to provide a guarantee of work to any citizen who demands work. The entire success of NREGS in Ganjam district can be attributed in large part to the use of IT as a monitoring tool. NREGS was implemented in Ganjam from 2006-07 and has resulted in the creation of 26 Lakh Person Days (LPD) covering about 80,000 families.
IT was seen as a critical tool to maximize the gains of NREGS and benefit the maximum number of families. Although initially IT was primarily used as a tool for monitoring and ensuring transparency and accountability, it soon became integral to the success of this program.
Some of the gains from the use of IT in NREGS implementation are as follows:
• Demand for employment increased from 80,000 households (2006-07) to 1.46 lakh households in 2007-08; this is an increase of about 83%.
• Employment provided increased from 26 LPD (2006-07) to 71 LPD in 2007-08; an increase of over 200%. In 2008-09 it reached 97 LPD.
• Direct and hassle free payments could be made to the beneficiaries. Out of about Rs. 60.44 crores spent on NREGS works, about Rs. 42.57 crores has been spent on labor payments. More than 90% of wages have been paid through bank accounts of job seekers. More than two lakh bank accounts have been opened for this purpose.
This could happen principally because the use of IT ensured transparency, solved the problem of underpayment and ensured timely payment. It improved accountability as the supervision was no longer dependant on voluminous reports and returns. The Collector could directly monitor the wages paid, work done and the flow of funds. This put pressure on the executing agencies to improve performance and deliver results.
One of the most important outcomes was a dramatic rise in the participation of women in the workforce. This happened largely due to the transparent manner of the recording of work done and payments due, which was in a large part due to the use of IT.
Rollouts planned in 2009-10
In the current system, the fund lies with the executing agencies and the DRDA; individual beneficiaries have accounts in the respective banks and payments are made through the banks. A significant goal would be to integrate the accounts of banks, individual beneficiaries and the implementing agencies. This would greatly improve transparency, ensure greater accountability and reduce the transaction time of operations which is crucial in a social sector program.
Currently data entry is happening at the block level. We are planning to decentralize it further.
The possibility of introducing mobile banking through networked handheld biometric devices is also being explored.
Challenges faced
One of the major challenges was to sensitize local representatives, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members and individual beneficiaries regarding the importance of the use of IT. Initially people were skeptical about its use, citing reasons of delay in wage payments and duplication of work. There was a view that excessive emphasis on the use of IT would ultimately deter the intended beneficiaries of NREGS.
This program had to be implemented over a geographical area of 8,206 square kilometers having a population of 31,60,000 living in 3,500 villages.
The work was to be spread out over three sub-divisions and 22 blocks. It was to be executed through multiple agencies. Part of the challenge was also that NREGS marked a paradigm shift from other rural poverty alleviation schemes. It was unlike any other government program.
Infrastructure and personnel were not major issues. The personnel required were already in place and infrastructure was provided by the Government of Orissa. The software application, PAMIS, that was developed by the Government of Orissa helped in the accurate maintenance of records and was an excellent monitoring tool. The NREGS website of MoRD is user friendly and customized to the needs of the program. However, to sensitize the executing machinery to accept IT as a workable tool was a big task.
The above challenges were met by conducting continuous training programs and sensitization workshops for all stakeholders. There was absolute insistence that only online reports would be evaluated, not manual entries. A mix of rewards and penalties was used to energize the multiple executing agencies. The better performing Panchayats were incentivized through other schemes like Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF). Gradually the success of the program itself convinced everyone that the use of IT could deliver results.
Green IT is a must
In today’s world it is important to be socially responsible, use resources smartly and continually innovate. Only then can the use of IT be sustainable. As IT is the fastest growing sector of energy use, responsible organizations must be concerned about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste disposal and toxic production methods. However, IT is not only part of the problem, but it can also contribute to finding a solution. Some of the solutions are as follows:
• Waste and scrap recycling
• Energy saving initiatives in the office.
• Innovation in energy efficient computer room design
Climbing corporate ladder
V Karthikeya Pandian, IAS Collector and District Magistrate, Ganjam, Orissa State Government talked to Akhtar Pasha about the success of NREGS in rural employment
The implementation of the flagship employment generation program known as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Ganjam district has helped lakhs of poor people get work and ensured the prompt and hassle free payment of wages bringing in a new dimension to government run social security programmes.
Under NREGS, Ganjam district was taken up as a Phase 1 District and 3.67 lakh households were issued job cards. The challenge was to provide jobs to citizens on a huge scale, ensuring transparency and accountability and doing so in a time bound and people friendly manner. Therefore, we needed an IT system to manage and track the same. The focus in Ganjam district has been to put all information relating to NREGS in the public domain. The software for this was provided by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the data is hosted on the Web site nrega.nic.in.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been used in the best possible manner to streamline reporting, record keeping and information flow under NREGS. Relevant information has been kept in the public domain on the Web for easy access by citizens and other concerned persons.
The cash book maintained for NREGS is being operated through a software application called PAMIS (Project Accounting Monitoring Information System). This software has been provided by the Government of Orissa through its Panchayati Raj department and it is used by both the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and the Program Officers. It facilitates correct accounting without any errors and the system can generate reports such as availability of funds on a particular date or in a particular period with the DRDA/Program Officers. Clerical errors have largely been overcome thanks to this software process. A consolidated PAMIS cash book is in place since June 2007.
Ganjam district is one of the leading districts in the country in terms of online monitoring of the NREGS scheme. The margin between online and offline reporting is negligible; often it is less than 5%. Reports/Returns are filed online. All blocks of Ganjam have adequate ICT infrastructure and manpower. We have been able to replace Manual MPRs by the online MIS as only online expenditure is accepted as actual expenditure. Program Officers (POs) have made extra efforts to reduce the margin between online and manual reporting thereby reducing the gap to the present level of below 5%.This has helped in effective monitoring of Block and GP level performance on a daily basis.
For e.g., every morning, the Collector gets an MIS printout of the NREGS performance of all the blocks and his observations are sent in the form of a written note through e-mail to the POs for follow up action. This system of daily online monitoring helps in taking timely decisions which is crucial in the whole process. In the peak working season, GP-wise during 2007-08 and village-wise position were reviewed and monitored once a fortnight. The practice continues. Wide publicity of success stories and best practices through various channels including the Web have created enthusiasm and interest among beneficiaries besides inculcating a sense of confidence among stakeholders.
Without the help of MIS, it would have been difficult to monitor a program of this magnitude in a large district such as Ganjam. The district received the National Award for Excellence in NREGS administration.
Measuring the success of NREGS
NREGS is a social legislation to provide a guarantee of work to any citizen who demands work. The entire success of NREGS in Ganjam district can be attributed in large part to the use of IT as a monitoring tool. NREGS was implemented in Ganjam from 2006-07 and has resulted in the creation of 26 Lakh Person Days (LPD) covering about 80,000 families.
IT was seen as a critical tool to maximize the gains of NREGS and benefit the maximum number of families. Although initially IT was primarily used as a tool for monitoring and ensuring transparency and accountability, it soon became integral to the success of this program.
Some of the gains from the use of IT in NREGS implementation are as follows:
• Demand for employment increased from 80,000 households (2006-07) to 1.46 lakh households in 2007-08; this is an increase of about 83%.
• Employment provided increased from 26 LPD (2006-07) to 71 LPD in 2007-08; an increase of over 200%. In 2008-09 it reached 97 LPD.
• Direct and hassle free payments could be made to the beneficiaries. Out of about Rs. 60.44 crores spent on NREGS works, about Rs. 42.57 crores has been spent on labor payments. More than 90% of wages have been paid through bank accounts of job seekers. More than two lakh bank accounts have been opened for this purpose.
This could happen principally because the use of IT ensured transparency, solved the problem of underpayment and ensured timely payment. It improved accountability as the supervision was no longer dependant on voluminous reports and returns. The Collector could directly monitor the wages paid, work done and the flow of funds. This put pressure on the executing agencies to improve performance and deliver results.
One of the most important outcomes was a dramatic rise in the participation of women in the workforce. This happened largely due to the transparent manner of the recording of work done and payments due, which was in a large part due to the use of IT.
Rollouts planned in 2009-10
In the current system, the fund lies with the executing agencies and the DRDA; individual beneficiaries have accounts in the respective banks and payments are made through the banks. A significant goal would be to integrate the accounts of banks, individual beneficiaries and the implementing agencies. This would greatly improve transparency, ensure greater accountability and reduce the transaction time of operations which is crucial in a social sector program.
Currently data entry is happening at the block level. We are planning to decentralize it further.
The possibility of introducing mobile banking through networked handheld biometric devices is also being explored.
Challenges faced
One of the major challenges was to sensitize local representatives, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members and individual beneficiaries regarding the importance of the use of IT. Initially people were skeptical about its use, citing reasons of delay in wage payments and duplication of work. There was a view that excessive emphasis on the use of IT would ultimately deter the intended beneficiaries of NREGS.
This program had to be implemented over a geographical area of 8,206 square kilometers having a population of 31,60,000 living in 3,500 villages.
The work was to be spread out over three sub-divisions and 22 blocks. It was to be executed through multiple agencies. Part of the challenge was also that NREGS marked a paradigm shift from other rural poverty alleviation schemes. It was unlike any other government program.
Infrastructure and personnel were not major issues. The personnel required were already in place and infrastructure was provided by the Government of Orissa. The software application, PAMIS, that was developed by the Government of Orissa helped in the accurate maintenance of records and was an excellent monitoring tool. The NREGS website of MoRD is user friendly and customized to the needs of the program. However, to sensitize the executing machinery to accept IT as a workable tool was a big task.
The above challenges were met by conducting continuous training programs and sensitization workshops for all stakeholders. There was absolute insistence that only online reports would be evaluated, not manual entries. A mix of rewards and penalties was used to energize the multiple executing agencies. The better performing Panchayats were incentivized through other schemes like Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF). Gradually the success of the program itself convinced everyone that the use of IT could deliver results.
Green IT is a must
In today’s world it is important to be socially responsible, use resources smartly and continually innovate. Only then can the use of IT be sustainable. As IT is the fastest growing sector of energy use, responsible organizations must be concerned about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste disposal and toxic production methods. However, IT is not only part of the problem, but it can also contribute to finding a solution. Some of the solutions are as follows:
• Waste and scrap recycling
• Energy saving initiatives in the office.
• Innovation in energy efficient computer room design
Climbing corporate ladder
