Rural Employment Guarantee Act puts states on toes

With the date approaching fast for the notification of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act by all the 27 state governments (excluding Goa) early next month, various implementing agencies, including the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), the State Institute of Rural Development(s) (SIRDs), non-governmental organisations and officials in the state panchayati raj and rural development departments across the country are on their toes.

The notification of the Act, which empowers the rural unemployed to seek employment, is said to have been advanced by about two months.

While the Orissa government launched the ground work for the scheme last week, the Andhra Pradesh government prepared the framework for the notification of the Act and also launched a publicity campaign two days ago.

The Right to Information Act, which came into force recently, assumes importance as it could ensure foolproof implementation of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Speaking to Business Standard, S Rajakutty, professor and head, Centre for Media and Rural Documentation (CMRD) and Centre for Technology and Product Marketing (CTPM), said, "We at NIRD have been entrusted with the task of developing a framework which will enable the state governments to plan and organise orientation programmes so as to prepare 'master trainers' who in turn will train personnel in a cascading effect "� state to district to block to panchayat."

The programme, called Training of Trainers (ToT), will help enlighten the village-level communities on how the twin legislations can empower them by creating awareness, he said.

A total of about 7,500 personnel will be trained for implementation of the scheme in around 150 backward districts of the country.

The training programme will cover general group comprising faculty members of SIRDs, engineers concerned with Wage employment programme implementation, representatives of non-governmental organisations, elected representatives, social activists and media personnel.

While 50 more districts of the total 200 proposed for implementation are to be announced, the Act will be implemented in 13 districts including 10 in the Telangana region, two in Rayalseema and one in the coastal belt.

In order to build regional networks and provide a common forum for various stakeholders, NIRD conducted the first regional multistakeholders meet for the northern region at SIRD, Jaipur, in November 2005.

A similar regional meet will be conducted in Pune to cover the western region later this month on January 23, 2006 and for the north-east next month.

"We will conduct the workshop for southern region at the end since the awareness level and motivation is higher here," Rajakutty said.