Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 11: Showing scant regard to the repeated instructions from the Union Government and its own announcement made on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, the State Government has failed to make appointment of ombudsman in each district under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) despite the fact that same have an important role to play to look into the complaints regarding implementation of the scheme.
This Centrally sponsored scheme was initially launched in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir in 2006 and thereafter extended to whole of the State. As per the provisions of the scheme the State Government was required to appoint ombudsman in each district right from the day one in order to address the complaints relating to implementation of the scheme.
“But, this important aspect of the scheme was not given due consideration by the Government prompting the Centre to issue repeated instructions to Jammu and Kashmir since the launch of the scheme in the State to ensure early appointment of ombudsman in each district”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “whenever the issue of appointment of ombudsmen figured the State Government simply gave some lame excuses”.
When several MLAs questioned the Government for its failure to appoint ombudsmen under MGNREGA during the Budget Session held in the month of March this year, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad, while winding up discussion on the demands of the departments under his charge, made an announcement that process of appointment of ombudsman in each district will be completed within one month.
“But this announcement has met the fate of the earlier ones as till date a committee which is mandated to make appointment of ombudsman, has not met even once”, sources regretted, adding “moreover, no date has yet been finalized for the meeting of committee and this clearly indicates that Jammu and Kashmir Government has scant regard for the repeated instructions from Union Government as well as its announcement made on the floor of the Legislative Assembly”.
They further regretted, “such a casual response from the Government is notwithstanding the fact that Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh during his recent visit to Udhampur district, had stated that he has heard complaints about MGNREGA implementation in Jammu and Kashmir”.
It is pertinent to mention here that for the appointment of ombudsman in each district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has appointed B S Negi, Deputy Secretary Administration as official representative of the Ministry and Dr Rashpal Malhotra, Executive Vice-Chairman of CRRID Chandigarh as eminent civil society person in the ombudsman selection committee.
According to the provisions of MGNRGA, ombudsman is required to be appointed in each district to consider complaints relating to the implementation of the scheme and take legal action. An ombudsman has the powers for issuing directions for spot investigation, lodging of FIRs against the erring parties, initiate suo-moto proceedings and take disciplinary and punitive actions.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development Department, Farooq Ahmed Peer said, “we had planned meeting of the selection committee in the month of March but the same could not be held due to pre-occupation of selection committee members nominated by the Union Government”, adding “we are planning to convene meeting very soon”. However, he could not specify any time-frame for holding the meeting.
He, however, admitted that ombudsmen have an important role to play for handling the complaints regarding implementation of Centrally sponsored scheme.
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