With the inclusion of small and marginal farmers under Individual beneficiary oriented works like social forestry, fruit bearing trees and land development/ pond excavation on the lands of these farmers, there is vast scope of NREGA. It is estimated that more than 95 % of farmers in our district have become eligible alongwith ST/ SC, BPL, Patta holders. The works which can be considered on the lands of these farmers are land development/ land lavelling, minor irrigation, excavation/ re-excavation of ponds/ tanks, plantation of banana, mango, guava, social forestry and any other perennial fruit bearing trees on their lands, field channel for irrigation purpose etc. It is noticed that despite detailed draft project report on these sectors circulated to GPs and NREGA authorities, response to IBS is very poor throughout the district. There might be reasons like inadequate publicity, lack of capacity building and lack of technical clartity of Nirman Sahayak/ Technical Assistants but the prime reason so far identified in all the GPs is lack of proactive role of GPs.
Programme Officer, NREGA & BDOs may consider identifying Supervisors/ SHGs or farmers clubs with the help of GPs, organise their training for atleast 4 days locally on NREGA procedures and IBS scheme estimates/ models. The panel of trained supervisor for different sansads/ group of sansads can be thereafter asked to prepare the scheme for IBS and submit to PO through GP for sanction. For example, supervisor can list out families willing to undertake excavation of ponds in a sansad or group of sansad, collect land particulars, measurements of ponds dimensions required to prepare estimates for each pond and submit the same to GP. Thereafter, TA or NS can easily verfiy the facts and finalise the estimates for onward transmission to PO for sanction. Supervisor shall also collect the applications from job card holders who will be engaged to do the excavation work and start the work on its sanction. Similarly, supervisors can collect the land particulars of banana growing farmers and prepare estimates for banana plantation in a sansad / group of sansads based on model estimates. On sanction of scheme, supervise can be entrusted for execution of scheme.
Supervisors can be assured cost of supervision as per the scale fixed for NREGA works against the schemes formulated by them. More the number of schemes, more the job opportunities to supervisors. All payments for plantation schemes shall continue for six months, thereby, providing assured employment to supervisors. POs may work out the details based on guidelines and model estimates already circulated. Any other effective idea at block level if evolved can please be shared.
