Corruption, lack of grievance redressal plaguing NREGA: Report

New Delhi: Ineffective grievance redressal remains a concern in implementation of the rural employment scheme MNREGA, says a Government report about its ambitious programme aimed at enhancing livelihood security of people living in rural areas.'MGNREGA Sameeksha', an anthology of a research study on the UPA's flagship scheme, also pointed out that a majority of state governments have not framed grievance redressal rules, as required under the Act, to address the issues of corruption.[caption id="attachment_386239" align="alignleft" width="380"] State governments need to strengthen grievance redressal issues: Reuters[/caption]"Studies point out that it is necessary to strengthen grievance redressal systems to address issues of corruption as well as other process issues. While the Act provides that each State formulate grievance redressal rules, few State governments have done so," says the report released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.In view of the need to strengthen grievance redressal, the Centre amended the MNREGA's schedule to prescribe rules for the speedy and effective disposal of complaints.States have also been advised to set up district level ombudsman to receive complaints from MNREGA workers and other stakeholders and facilitate their redressal.Currently five states have set up district level ombudsman - Punjab, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.Noting that MNREGA has inbuilt transparency and accountability mechanisms in its design, the report says "evidence from the field indicates that frequency of social audits and their quality is a major constraint in effective implementation of the scheme."PTI