Uttarakhand may be taking credit for passing a strong Lokayukta Bill. But, when it comes to Lok Pals or Ombudsman in the rural development for redressal of grievances of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), they are yet to start functioning in the hill state.
In 2009, the Centre had directed all states to set up office of Ombudsman in all the districts in order to bring more transparency in the implementation of NREGS which is being implemented across all states under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act (NREGA), a flagship programme of the UPA government.
The state government is yet to take steps to set up the offices even though orders have been passed in this regard. So far, the state government has appointed Ombudsman in only 11 out of the total 13 districts.
“We are yet to appoint Ombudsman in Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh districts,” said a government official adding, “In all the 11 districts where Ombudsman have been appointed, they have not started hearing complaints.”
Realising the need for an independent authority to expeditiously redress grievances in the implementation of NREGA, the Union government had directed all the states and union territories for establishing offices of Ombudsman in all districts.
The state government recently appointed J R Lapar, a retired additional commission in the rural development department as Ombudsman for Dehradun district. But he is yet to hold a bench.
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On the other hand, people have started sending all sundry complaints to his office mistaking it as an office of Lokayukta. Like Lapar, most of the Ombudsman have not yet started hearing complaints.
Ombudsman offices would be set up across the state and will have financial powers to impose penalty and order for recovery of money, in case any misappropriation of funds is detected in the implementation of the rural job scheme, the official said.