Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mobile Bank boon for MGNREGS labourers in MP

By Ataullah Faizan
Bhopal, May 19, 2011
Madhya Pradesh has done what even advance states could not. The state has started mobile banking services in eight districts to disburse wages to labourers in their villages itself under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Under the plan, wages amounting to more than Rs. 74 crore have been paid to over two lakh 75 thousand labourers by organising employment days in these eight districts, reports SMS News and Features. After the success of the experiment, the state government plans to expand mobile banking services to remaining 42 districts.
It is learnt even after making all possible efforts, difficulties were being faced for payment of wages. In view of this, mobile banking services are being introduced in eight districts on an experimental basis. With this system, the labourers will get wages in their villages itself. The workers will be saved from facing unnecessary problems like going to the post office to withdraw the wages.
The mobile banking services have been introduced in 381 gram Panchayats of 28 blocks of eight districts which are located in the far-flung areas. For this, 33 mobile bank vehicles have been pressed into service. The beneficiaries of this system are two lakh 68 thousand 871 labourers and a total amount of Rs. 74 crore 52 lakh as wages has been disbursed to them in their own villages.
The mobile banking network is operational through six vehicles in 218 Panchayats of six blocks of Anuppur district. The mobile banks distributed Rs 64.41 crore to one lakh 86 thousand 294 workers as wages which is the maximum in all the six districts.. Likewise, in Umaria district, 11 mobile bank vehicles are pressed into service in 90 villages of three blocks. These mobile bank vehicles distributed wages amounting to Rs. 6.25 crore to 38 thousand 925 labourers. In Chhindwara district, one mobile bank vehicle has distributed Rs 25 lakh to 2389 workers of 19 Gram Panchayats of seven blocks. Workers of nine Gram Panchayats of five blocks in Jabalpur districts received wages amounting to Rs. Four lakh through seven mobile bank vehicles. Workers numbering 241 of three Gram Panchayats of one block of Burhanpur district received wages amounting to Rs five lakh through one mobile bank vehicle. Three mobile bank vehicles were pressed into service in three blocks of Dindori district. There, 28 thousand 119 labourers received their wages amounting to Rs three crore 17 lakh. This scheme was introduced in Sheopur and Ujjain districts only during the last month. In Seoni district, 12 thousand 170 labourers of 22 Gram Panchayats spread over in four blocks received Rs 35 lakh as wages through five mobile banks.
It may be mentioned here that Madhya Pradesh has added yet another feather to its cap since the Anuppur model of mobile banking ensuring on-the-spot payment of wages under MNREGS has been judged as the best practice in implementing the MNREGS and was awarded by the President of India. Anuppur figured among 10 districts of the country. The officials who made sincere efforts and brought laurels to the state are indeed praiseworthy since timely payment of wages is a must and for this the mobile banking is an effective mechanism.

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