BHUBANESWAR: The State government has decided to rope in women SHGs for proper implementation of MGNREGS to arrest distress migration in 477 panchayats under 20 blocks of four western Odisha districts. A framework has been prepared to create a support structure for facilitating the local administration in the implementation of rural job scheme in the migration-prone areas where the panchayat federation and cluster level forum of women SHGs will constitute the key stakeholders.
While the experts engaged under the cluster facilitation programme will be assigned the role of livelihood experts in Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts, the migration-prone blocks in Bargarh will be divided into clusters with 10 to 15 panchayats for cluster-wise monitoring.
The monthly person-days target and rate of participation of the job card-holder will be decided by the district administration concerned. Efforts will be made to integrate farm-based livelihoods with all water harvesting structures for maximum utilisation of water resources with the support of line departments and livelihood-promoting organisations.
Priority will be the creation of land-based irrigation providing individual assets/community assets to give direct benefit to the targeted small landholders migrating to other states besides, development of sustainable livelihood security plan at household-level and creation of household-level asset base for landholders, marginal farmers, and landless families.
The SHGs will provide one dedicated community mobiliser for each panchayat to mobilise job seekers. One Sahayata Kendra to be managed by four SHG members will operate at block-level, facilitate the work and bridge the communication gap between the community and administration.
Principal Secretary of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department Ashok K Meena said the members of the panchayat federation, women SHGs and livelihood experts will facilitate planning, implementation and social audit of the MGNREGS programme.
Apart from capacity building at the grassroots level, they will mobilise job cardholders ensuring their participation in MGNREGS work and assist the local administration in arresting distress migration through proper monitoring, he said.
A total of 477 community mobilisers, 41 livelihood experts and 80 Sahayata Kendra operators will be engaged for the purpose. The engaged members of federation and SHGs will be paid out of the MGNREGS administrative contingency parked at the district level. Payment would be made to the account of the SHGs by the 10th of every month for the following month.
Areas to be covered
Balangir district 6 blocks
Bargarh district 4 blocks
Kalahandi district 5 blocks
Nuapada district 5 blocks