NEW DELHI, Jan 27: Government today asked the states to form labour groups of MNREGA workers at the village level to improve the quality of works to be undertaken under the programme.
An advisory in this regard has been issued to the states, a Rural Development Ministry official said. He said such groups of MNREGA workers are being formed to improve their participation in implementation of the programme and to ensure provision of entitlements provided under it.
The official said all MNREGA workers part of a household in possession of job card, and whose members have worked at least 10 days in the previous year, should become part of labour groups which will also be given unique identification numbers.
In the first phase, state governments are asked to undertake labour group formations in 2500 Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise (IPPE) blocks.
In its advisory, the Centre has suggested that the preferable size of a labour group is 10 to 15 households with job cards. They should preferably be located contiguous at the neighbourhood level –hamlet– but where localities are spread out, smaller groups should be formed.
The official said workers will be encouraged to voluntarily form into labour groups to the workers and to facilitate formation of labour groups at a meeting to be convened by the programme officer of the MNREGA in villages.
Labour group will, through consensus, select two leaders amongst themselves, one male and one female, preferably from vulnerable categories, he said.
The official said states have been asked to use the civil society organisations, Bharat Nirman Volunteers, members of Block planning teams under Intensive Participatory Planning Exercise, Panchayati Raj institution representatives and self-help group federations to facilitate labour group formation.
“On conclusion of this exercise, the programme officer will enter the details of the labour group onto the MNREGA Management Information System; and generate the unique identity number for the group,” the Ministry said.
Once the group is formed, the group can file application for work as per their actual need.
Each Gram Panchayat should hold a monthly meeting of all labour groups and they can be requested to give feedback to the programme officer on the quality and utility of the works. (PTI)
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