Central team studies rural job works, confirms record

VISAKHAPATNAM: A three-member central team from ministry of rural development visited interior villages of Vizianagaram district on Tuesday to verify claims that the district has created a national record in implementation of MGNREGS by providing maximum number of work days to rural poor.

The team comprised rural development ministry joint director Amarendra Pratap Singh, joint secretary Rohit Kumar and programme officer Hansil Kumar. State panchayat raj and rural development commissioner S. Girija Shankar and Vizianagaram collector A. Surya Kumari accompanied the central team.

Officials first visited Karadavalasa village in Parvathipuram mandal and verified job cards of village workers. They spoke to villagers about NREGS works and payment of wages. Later the team visited Dibbaguddivalassa and Gadabavalasa of Bondapalli panchayat in the district. There too, the team verified works and payment of wages. Central officials also interacted with cluster coordinators of Velugu self-help groups about NREGA works. They asked Pola Balakoteswara Rao, a farmer, about cashew and mango crops he is growing on his five acres of land at Viswambarapuram village under MGNREGA works.

Collector A. Surya Kumari told reporters after the team’s visit that central officials visited several villages to inspect NREGA works implemented both last year and this year. The team will submit its findings to the union ministry.

Answering a question, Surya Kumari said the team did not find any irregularities in implementation of works and payment of wages. She maintained that the team got impressed by the concept of village secretariat and volunteer system, apart from delivery of ration at homes of beneficiaries. The central team made it a point to visit a secretariat and interact with its employees.

Gurla mandal in Vizianagaram district created 13.39 lakh working days and paid Rs 32.68 crore in wages to workers under MGNREGA scheme. The district administration claimed this is a record in the country. However, the central team did not visit Gurla mandal.