NEG scheme for unemployed adults takes off today

  • 01/04/2008

  • Herald

Come April 1 and Goa will finally implement the National Employment Guarantee scheme for the unemployed adults around the State's countryside. A seven-member monitoring committee has been constituted to oversee the implementation of the scheme in the rural areas. Rural Development Minister, Churchill Alemao along with DRDA Project Officers in both North and South districts reviewed the scheme on Monday here this evening. A plan of action has been chalked out by the RDA officials to ensure that proposals for developmental works are prepared and submitted by the village Panchayats. "The RDA is fully geared up to implement the scheme, which will guarantee employment for 100 days to any adult person', informed Churchill Alemao to newsmen today. He, however, said a lot would depend on the Village Sarpanch on the success of the scheme as Panchayat bodies are require to prepare developmental projects before the implementation of the scheme. RDA Project Director, South Narayan Sawant and his north Goa countepart, Gurudas Pilarnekar said RDA officials are raring to go to ensure effective implementation of the National Employment Guarantee Act. "A system has been laid down to issue job cards for those seeking employment', they informed, adding that the scheme will be reviewed every fortnight at the taluka level. But, the biggest worry for the RDA officials is the role to be played by the Panchayat bodies. For, unless the local Panchayats are motivated to prepare developmental plans, no work would take place in the village, thus denying employment to the prospective adults. Meanwhile, Alemao said around around 209 temporary posts of gram sevaks would be created in the near future to implement RDA schemes and appealed to the unemployed graduates to apply for the jobs. Lamenting that many of the RDA schemes are denied to Goans because of the criteria, Alemao said he would take up with the Union RDA Minister later this week the need to tailor schemes to meet the requirements of Goan youth. He, however, expressed confidence that certain schemes can be implemented for Goans if there's a political will to do so.