Over one crore out of the 2.82 crore assets created under the MGNREGA since its inception in 2007 are now geo-tagged with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) which has preserved high tech resolution images of the rural assets.
The ISRO said that no one can temper the geo tagged assets, the process which was launched in August last year. All the geo tagged assets are now in public domain.
Calling it a new milestone under the centre’s flagship scheme for rural jobs, a senior official from the Rural Development Ministry said that on an average, about 30 lakh assets are created annually which includes a variety of works such as water harvesting structures, plantations, rural infrastructure, flood control measures, individual assets for sustainable livelihood, community infrastructure and so on.
The process of geo-tagging is going on and all assets under MGNREGS will be geotagged. Special focus is being given to geo-tag Natural Resource Management works especially the water related works, the official added.
It was in June last year that the Ministry of Rural Development had joined hands with the NRSC, ISRO and National Informatics Centre for geo-tagging the assets created under MGNREGS in each gram panchayat. Strength of Space technology has been leveraged.
The move followed a review meeting taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had underlined for online recording and monitoring of assets to check leakages and for effective mapping of terrain for future developmental works.
The Ministry has decided that through convergence with other schemes, the geo-tagging of such assets will be done on a mission mode, the official added.