With the recent expansion of the ambit of the nature of works to be taken up under the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGS), more job seekers are being provided with works in East Godavari. These relate to minor irrigation projects such as strengthening of bunds, bush clearance on bunds without uprooting the stumps of trees and closure of breaches.
The district water management agency (DWMA) which is the nodal agency for the job scheme has also requested irrigation authorities to issue a No Objection Certificate for taking up earth works in three-metre wide irrigation canals.
With the recent issue of Government Order Nos. 389 and 129, the DWMA authorities are taking up works under the job scheme to develop minor irrigation sources, especially in waste lands which are already developed and owned by SCs and STs under the Indira Jal Prabha scheme.
The latter scheme is being implemented initially in the eight mandals of Addateegala, Gollaprolu, Tondangi, Korukonda, Peddapuram, Jaggampeta, Rangampeta and Shankavaram in the district at present.
In addition, to develop road connectivity to inaccessible habitations located mainly in Agency and plain areas, DWMA authorities are taking up works under the job scheme.
Nearly Rs.13 crores were allotted for road development works in the Agency and Rs.20 crores in plain areas.
As works under the scheme are going on at a brisk pace, nearly 50,000 labourers reported on a single day in the district.
Over four lakh labourers have reported for work under the scheme in the district so far in the current fiscal.
Of the estimated misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs.5.10 crores in the job scheme, found out while conducting social audit, the district water management agency authorities have recovered Rs.65 lakh so far and dropped claims on Rs.25 lakh.
The district water management agency project director, Mr O. Madhusudhan said, “We have come up with several resolutions in the new year to ensure zero percent allegations of graft against staff, officials to stay put at their workplaces and close monitoring on implementation.”
