Union Joint Secretary Rural Development Rajesh Bhushan has lauded electronic transfer of funds for payment of wages against works and material, administrative expenses etc. under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Madhya Pradesh.
He said that Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country to make all three kinds of payments through e-FMS. Soon, Madhya Pradesh will be projected as an ideal state and other states will be motivated to use e-FMS fully for transfer of MNREGA funds. Bhushan was addressing a trining-cum-workshop on electronic fund management system here on Thursday.
Bhushan informed that there are 23 thousand Gram Panchayats in Madhya Pradesh and simultaneous payments under MNREGA through e-FMS to all stakeholders is praiseworthy. He informed that payment of only wages is being made through this system in some districts of Rajasthan, Odisha, Karnataka and other States. Madhya Pradesh deserves praise since its entire funds for administrative expenses; wages and material are being transferred here electronically.
MNREGA Commissioner Ravindra Pastor informed that about 1 lakh 75 thousand groups of 2 kinds have been constituted under MNREGA in rural areas of the state. One group comprises landless labourers, who are unskilled labourers and another one consists of landholder beneficiaries who are benefited under beneficiary-oriented schemes. Therefore, role of post offices in MNREGA payments in rural areas has assumed added significance.
Technical Director, NIC, Government of India Sushri Madhuri Sharma, MIS Officer of Union Government Ritesh Saxena, Madhya Pradesh’s Additional Secretary Panchayats and Rural Development Brijesh Kumar, Madhya Pradesh Post Master General, lt Col DKS Chauhan, Director Madhya Pradesh Circle VC Rai, Shaktivelu of Software Development Centre, Chennai, representatives of Centre for Excellence in Technology, Mysore and nodal officers of various banks were also present on the occasion.
Deputy Director General of Indian Postal Department Vasu Mitra said that Madhya Pradesh Circle is the only circle in India, which is providing facility of MNREGA payments to villagers.