Day in and day out we learn about various Central Ministries complaining to their counterparts in the State administration about non observance of guidelines and instructions conveyed while proposing a new developmental plan of the Central Government. These instructions accompany the funds allocated for the centrally sponsored schemes. There is a rationale behind it. Schemes are proposed, discussed and passed through a lengthy and nerve-breaking process at the level of Union Ministries. The Planning Commission examines it, asks for clarifications, invites technical opinion and makes budgetary allocations and only then a project is floated all over the country.
The scheme under discussion is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS). This scheme is meant to serve the interests of labourers employed at various projects in rural parts of India. The scheme has drawn a comprehensive document that encompasses all imaginable aspects of rural labour and providing them maximum benefits. For example, they are to be given remuneration or compensation for days of no work. At the same time beneficiary state is also told of the number of labour person days for each financial year. Wages for these labourers are provided along with various other conditionalities.
Now in connection with this scheme, the Ministry of Rural Development took a decision on April 1 this year according to which the release of funds for MGNREGS has been changed and the funds are now being directly released to State Consolidated Fund (SCF) for the transfer of same to the State Employment Guarantee Fund (SEGF) within three days from the date of transfer to the SCF. This has been done by the Union Ministry to grant greater control to the State Governments in implementation of the scheme. Another purpose of change in the scheme is to ensure that wages were not delayed to the labourers as that causes them much discomfort. There are clear and unambiguous instructions of employment of daily wagers and securing their interests. But unmindful of strict instructions from the Union Rural Development Ministry, the State Finance Department has not transferred the allotted funds to State Employment Guarantee Fund (SEGF). Why has the Finance Department either slept over the matter or deliberately defied the instructions? This has been the complaint in many other cases of centrally sponsored schemes also. In identical manner secretaries of Union Ministries have written to the concerned departments in the State to clarify various issues pertaining to implementation of a new scheme. One fails to understand whether incompetence of State staff is the reason of recurring defaults in implementing Central schemes or there is advertent disobedience on the part of Government machinery. Noticeably the Union Ministry of Rural Development, while conveying instructions in regard to transfer of developmental funds or funds for wages for the labourers, has said that if the allocated funds are not transferred within three days of receipt, then the Finance Department shall have to pay the interests at 12 per cent.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development has taken a serious note of State not conforming to the instructions in the case of the scheme. It has clearly warned the State Government that non-compliance would adversely affect the state’s case for extension of the scheme for the financial year of 2014-15. In other words it means that the Union Ministry of Rural Development would not be prepared to support the State in providing the contemplated facilities and benefits to the labourers. At the end of the day, it is the labourers who have to bear the brunt. A democratic and welfare state is expected to be very sympathetic and considerate to the labour class as it is at the lowest rung of our economic structure. But the State Government is not coming up to our expectations.
We earnestly exhort the Finance Minister of the State to give no cause of disappointment either to the Union Ministry of Rural Development or to thousands of daily wage earners who are benefited by the scheme of the Union Ministry. Funds should be transferred to SEGF without loss of time. It is no use to sit on the papers and delay delivery system all to the detriment of the State.
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