TMB Report
Imphal: With a view to strengthening the functioning of the Ombudspersons of MGNREGA in Manipur and enhancing involvement of Ombudspersons in Rural Development activities, a get together and interaction meeting was held at the Kombirei Hall of DC office complex, Lamphelpat on Tuesday.
A press release issued by Ombudsman, Imphal west Yumnam Lakshman Singh said that Chairperson of the Institute of Development Studies Manipur, Professor N. Mohendro Singh, Additional DC, Imphal West
Keisham Jadumani Singh and retired District Youth Cordinator, NYKS, Govt of India Salam Gourakishwor Singh attended as Special Guest, Guest of Honour and Functional President respectively. Eight Ombudspersons and ten other invitees were also attended in the meeting.
While delivering a keynote address, Ombudsman of Imphal West Yumnam Laksman Singh categorically pointed out the initiatives taken up and challenges faced by the Ombudspersons in the hill and valley districts of Manipur. Involvement of beneficiaries in the planning, implementation andsocial audit through active participation in quality Gram Sabha meetings are highly necessary. The need of the hour is to create mass awareness on the role of Ombudspersons among the Job card holders and the elected members, he added.
A healthy interactive session of Ombudspersons with the experts was held in the meeting. It was further decided that organisation of a separate workshop for the Ombudspersons with RD&PR staffs, DPC, BDOS will be more meaningful. Additional DC, IW Keisham Jadumani Singh also pointed out the historical perspective of how the payment system of the Job card holders have been gradually changing from direct/cheque payment to e-payment from 2016-17, followed by Aadhar linked e-payment in 2020. Recently, the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) is also introduced in the functioning of MGNREGA, he conveyed.
Professor N. Mohendro Singh thanked the efforts made by the Ombudspersons in the process of rural development under the existing Panchayati Raj institutions. Apart from their normal duties to redress
the grievances and disposal of complaints, lot of coordination work with District Programme Coordinator, BDOs and the experts from the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR)
are highly required, the Professor added.The Interaction meeting ended with thanks from Th. Khamba, Ombudsperson, Tengnoupal District.
