Implementation of MGNREGA in Odisha- A Malicious Deception

Implementation of MGNREGA in Odisha- A Malicious Deception  with big failure

(Bulletin-1)

Chief Minister has made SEGC permanent Dysfunctional in the state

Dear friends

Under UPA-1 and UPA-2, the Central Government has enacted a number of progressive laws known as People’s Laws in the country. To name few are Right to Information Act 2005, National Food Security Act 2013, Forest Rights Act 2008, Right to Education Act 2009,  prevention of Domestic violence Act, Whistle-blower Protection Act 2011, Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013 etc. Most progressive law was Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2006 (MGNREGA). The primary objective of the Act was to provide social protection. It was to enhance livelihood security by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed work to interested Job seekers in a year.

Under the Act, there are numerous provisions for monitoring of the implementation of the schemes and redressal of grievances of the people starting from GP to state level. The State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC) is one of them.  Section 12 of MGNREGA stipulates constitution of SEGC at State level. It’s function is to advise the State Government in all matters concerning the scheme  and its implementation, review the monitoring and grievance redressal. This body is also empowered to prepare annual report to be laid down before the state legislature. In Odisha it was constituted in November 2007 under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister. Minister, Panchayat Raj Department was the ex officio Vice-chairman and 12 officials and seven non-officials were also the members. As per Para 4 of the OREGC Rules, SEGC was to be reconstituted in every three years.

CAG has made   performance audit of the functioning of SEGC led by Nabin Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha.  It was observed that State Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC) had not been reconstituted properly within stipulated time framework. As per Para 4 of the OREGC Rules, SEGC was to be reconstituted in every three years. But SEGC was reconstituted in November 2012 after delay of 23 months and again in 2016 after a delay of seven months.  Further as per para 6(2) of OREGC Rules, SEGC had to sit at least once in six months to transact business. However it was seen that SEGC had held only four meetings since its constitution to November 2007 as against required 18 meetings. The reason is due to constant absence and non-availability of the ex-officio  Chairman ( Chief Minister) to attend the meetings.  As a result, the SEGC   could approve the annual administrative report of MGNREGS in the state for the years 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 only in January 2013. The annual administrative reports for the years 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 were approved only in August 2016.   As the meeting were not held due to absence of Chief Minister, large number of grievances was seen pending   at state level. Ultimately, SEGC could not function effectively because of non-availability of Chairman (Chief Minister) to attend the meeting.

It is to be noted here that there is no such provision under the Act that only Chief Minister would be chairman of the Council. The State Government could have appointed anybody to lead SEGC. This arrangement was done by bureaucracy only to satisfy  Chief Minister who is hardly aware  about any law implemented  in our state.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date-14.4.18

( Source- Report of CAG on Local Bodies for the year ended March 2017)