Lok Sabha Question No. 1887 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-01
Subject: Expansion of Services of Ombudsperson of MGNREGS and PMAY-G
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Basanta Kumar Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1887

## ANSWERED ON 01/08/2023

## EXPANSION OF SERVICES OF OMBUDSPERSON OF MGNREGS AND PMAY-G

## 1887. SHRI BASANTA KUMAR PANDA:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government  proposes  to expand/extend the services of the Ombudsperson of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) to other rural development programmes/schemes as an alternative independent  mechanism  for  grievances/complaints  redressal and to bring transparency in the implementation of schemes at the  district  level,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (b) the  mechanism  being  adopted  for  other  rural  development schemes;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  about  the  various  issues related to the functioning of the Ombudsperson (MGNREGS & PMAY-G) in different districts and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the mechanisms adopted to strengthen this new independent authority working as an alternate mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (a):
- Currently there is no such proposal.
- (b): Government of India has taken various steps for strengthening  the  grievances  /complaints  redressal  mechanism under various rural development Schemes. The important elements
- of the above framework are listed below:

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has a three-tiered Quality Control mechanism for ensuring construction of quality road works and durability  of  road  assets  under  PMGSY.  Under  the  first tier,  the  Programme  Implementation  Units  (PIUs)  are  required  to ensure  process  control  through  mandatory  tests  on  material  and workmanship at the field laboratory. The second tier is a structured independent  quality  monitoring  at  the  State  level  through  State Quality Monitors (SQMs) to ensure that every work is inspected at initial stage, intermediate stage and final stage of the construction. Under  the  third  tier,  which  is  at  the  National  level,  independent National Quality Monitors (NQMs) are deployed for random inspection  of  road  works  to  monitor  quality  and  also  to  provide guidance of senior professionals to the field functionaries. Based on the periodic monitoring of quality of roads under the 3-tier mechanism, corrective measures, wherever necessary, are taken by the State Governments.

Complaints received from Members of Parliament are sent to National Rural Infrastructure Agency (NRIDA), a technical arm of the Ministry to depute the team of NQM to inquire into the complainants. Based on the outcome, the matter is taken up with the  concerned  States  for  addressing  the  issues  as  pointed  out  by NQM.

Further, A Mobile App 'Meri Sadak' was launched on 20th July, 2015  with  a  view  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  e-governance  and Digital India for user friendly and transparent Citizen Feedback and complaint  redressal  system.  The  citizens,  with  the  use  of  this application,  can  express  their  concerns  related  to  slow  pace, abandoned work or quality of work of PMGSY works.

Under  National  Social  Assistance  Programme  (NSAP),  the States are required to institute a grievance redressal system at the Gram/ Intermediate Panchayat/ District/ Municipality levels for receiving and time-bound disposal of grievances.

Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM),  the  State  level  implementing agency of the mission, i.e. State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs)

are using at least one or more different existing grievance redressal mechanisms available in the State as per respective State government  guidelines  such  as  State  Government  level  website, help desks, CM's helpline, or government toll free numbers etc. to raise and response to the grievances.

(c) & (d): As  per  para  30  of  Schedule-I  of  Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 there shall be an Ombudsperson for each district for receiving grievances, enquiring into,  and  passing  awards  as  per  the  guidelines  issued.  States/UTs have been sensitized to provide administration and logistic support to ombudsperson of the district. States/UTs have been requested to review  the  award  passed  by  the  Ombudspersons.  Ombudspersons have been directed to share their performance about the complaint received  and  its  disposal  to  the  Chief  Secretary  of  the  concerned States and Central Government.

To strengthen this new independent authority the Government has  conducted  the  capacity  building  program  for  Ombudspersons. Technical,  administrative,  and  legal  supports  are  provided  by  the State  Government  to  ombudsperson  to  carry  out  the  assigned functions.  The  Ministry  has  introduced  online  platform  to  register compliant,  passing  awards  and  upload  Action  Taken  Report.  This has helped is ease of completing the proceedings. Central Government  has  decided  to strengthen the  ombudsperson  by conduct  of  the  enquiry  by  use  of  Drone  in  physical  verification  of worksite/asset.

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