Check about the new rule that is making MGNREGS Field Assistants worry

Hyderabad: Hundreds of field assistants (FAs) of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are worried about the new rule of the Centre on providing works to the job card holders.

Recently, the Centre has issued a rule that the FAs, who failed to provide work to the job card holders for 40 days in a year would be removed from the post.

This would affect about 300 FAs. They are worried about losing their jobs with the new rule introduced by the NREGS officials. They have been urging the government to relax the norm to protect their jobs.

Under the new rule, the FAs have been divided into three categories. Those ensured about 40 days work to each job card holder has been placed in the first, 10 to 39 days have been placed in the second and the FAs, who provided work for less than 10 days in the third category.

The NREGS officials have analysed the reports of the previous year and categorised the FAs according to their performance.

The services of the FAs in the first and second categories would be continued in the next financial year and the FAs in the third category would be removed from services.

The FAs of the first category are being paid monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 and those in the second category are paid Rs 5,000 per month. They work on contract basis. Those placed in the third category would not get any pay.

According to officials, the rule of removing the FAs, who provided less than 10 days work is taken to ensure that the job card holders get work for more number of days.

Though the NREGS states that each job card holder should be given 100 days work per year, the objective is not reached in most of the Gram Panchayats.

The average workdays provided to each job card holder is 40 days per year in the State. The officials feel that the negligence of the FAs was the reason for failing to achieve the objective of the scheme.

So, they have decided to tighten the rules for the FAs and the new rule has been imposed. The FAs are responsible to provide job card to the wage seeker, for provision of works to the wage seekers, recording the attendance and payment of wages.