The Power Of Ex

Rural devt ministry programmes monitored by bureaucrats and ex-servicemen: 

• National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
• Indira Awaas Yojana
• Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
• Panchayati Raj
• Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
• Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana
• Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme
• Total Sanitation Campaign 

ou can't utilise the services of ex-servicemen any better. The Union ministry of rural development has formulated a scheme whereby retired services personnel and former bureaucrats monitor the UPA government's flagship welfare programme—the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme launched early this year. The first batch of appointees will be on board in the second week of December.

The ministry has already placed ads calling retired defence personnel and former bureaucrats. Senior officials in the ministry say there is a proposal to induct 200 National Level Monitors (NLMS) to visit specified districts in far-flung regions and report from the ground. "The NREGs is the most important programme of the ministry. We need more people to see it is properly implemented," says an official. The ministry already has 200 NLMS for its other welfare programmes. Among them, the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, Indira Awaas Yojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Panchayati Raj and Watershed programmes.

While the government sees the enrolment of ex-servicemen as absolutely necessary, retired officers think of it as a social contribution. Says Lt Col R.S. Jamwal, a monitor appointed by the ministry, "I think we are doing social service. The government takes our observations seriously." They don't get a fixed salary but are paid a daily allowance, with all expenses covered.

The monitors, usually in batches of eight, visit remote districts once in four months and submit a report to the state and Centre. Rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad holds meetings with the monitors to understand their assessment of the programmes launched by the ministry. Currently, the ministry itself monitors the NREGs but it hopes to keep closer tabs once the new NLMS are in place.

In the districts, NLMS inspect whether the selection procedure of beneficiaries is above board. Any deviations in the implementation of the scheme are reported. For instance, the inspectors have to examine whether muster rolls for the NREGs have been properly maintained. They also have to assess and rate the programme in a particular region.

Says retired group captain D.C. Bakshi, who has visited close to 10 states including Bihar and in the Northeast: "While the ministry's intentions are sincere, the problems at hand are mammoth. There are no roads. Documentation is done on computers, but there's no power. How can data be collected?" Often, local factors and conditions aren't considered while drawing up plans. So, many programmes that look good on paper come a cropper on implementation. Feedback like Bakshi's helps identify these gaps.

As chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Sonia Gandhi had in fact been pushing for the induction of former bureaucrats and ex-servicemen into the monitoring mechanism. The rural development ministry now seems to have taken up her suggestion. With its ambit of 200 districts, the NREGs needs constant monitoring. It may not weed out corruption entirely, but it can curb misuse. This is where retired personnel can bring in some of the discipline of their serving years.