MGNREGA Joint Secy from Delhi impressed with Sikkim’s focus beyond wages and on village-building

GANGTOK, 02 Dec [IPR]: Joint Secretary (MGNREGA), Aparajita Sarangi, visited Sikkim from 27-30 Nov to inspect MGNREGA works. Accompanied by a team of officers from the Ministry of Rural Development, Ms. Sarangi, over three days, inspected 21 works covering five blocks in South and East districts.
She visited ongoing and completed works relating to land development, dhara vikas, IAY/ CMRHM, water storage tanks, cattle sheds, village footpaths, large cardamom plantations, G5P planning approach for labour budget and also had detailed interactions with PRIs in Gram Prashashan Kendra and functionaries in the Gram Vikas Kendra.
She commended the State for projecting MGNREGA works as a village building activity and not just as a wage employment programme.
She also observed that the working relationship between the PRI functionaries and the officials at the ground level was very strong. She praised the concept of Gram Vikas Kendra (Cluster Support office) with proper positioning of adequate manpower.
Another activity she was impressed with was the Gram Panchayat Pro poor Perspective Planning (G5P) activity being implemented in all the gram panchayats, which once institutionalised would be showcased by the Ministry as a model. The springshed development (dhara vikas) works implemented under MGNREGA in the state was an example which all the hills states in the country could replicate. She participated in the Social Audit at Namcheybong GPU and was very impressed with the transparency and the process followed by the Social Audit Unit. She also highlighted the need to take up convergence projects in partnership with line departments to promote sustainable livelihoods. Towards the end, a wrap up meeting was held wherein she promised full support to Sikkim State in the implementation of the MGNREGA programme.