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5. Disclosure Processes: To ensure transparency in Panchayats, due mechanisms need to be incorporated including an open office, open inspection and an institutionalized system of proactive disclosure for NREGA, as well as other Panchayat programmes and functions. For all Panchayat offices, this would require a year.
6. Social Audit: To further ensure a system of accountability and monitoring, a full social audit of all NREGA works in the Panchayat needs to be conducted twice a year. This would aim to cover neighbouring Panchayats and eventually the block within one year.
7. Programmes for Skill Upgradation: Such programmes for NREGA workers in the Gram Panchayat could be evolved based on local skills and local employment opportunities. These could then be institutionalized in a phased manner in the block and district. Locally appropriate and useful labour intensive works could be proposed and tried out, so that they can be included in the list of permissible works under NREGA.
8. Effective Local Designs for Labour Intensive Works to Build Rural Infrastructure: The NREGA is an employment generation programme which requires the use of labour resources on a priority basis. NREGA allows various types of labour intensive works to be carried out ? such as water harvesting structures, forestry, roads etc. To increase efficiency and reduce drudgery, relevant designs have to take into account locally available material, geo-climatic conditions and social factors, including the need to optimally use human resources of the area. This task requires a local centre for innovation and design, which could be facilitated by the PGK. Further, the productive value of these works could be enhanced with appropriate scientific and technical inputs. In a related letter, we have discussed the need for ergonomic tools, especially among workers involved in manual labour tasks.
9. Design of Appropriate Worksite Facilities: The NREGA mandates that all workers be provided with clean drinking water, shade, cr?he facilities for small children, and first aid facilities at the work site. This is crucial to ensure dignity of labour and to make the worksite a safe working environment. This task also requires an appropriate set of local designs for management as well as the means of delivering these facilities.
10. Convergence of different social sector programmes: Finally, the NREGA offers huge potential for facilitating convergence of different social sector programmes as it brings together rural labour at one place. This can enable a number of empowerment and awareness generating efforts in health, education, workers rights and understanding of democratic processes. The PGK could function as a platform for organizing melas, workshops and training, which not only deal with the NREGA, but also enhance participatory processes in all social sector programmes in the Panchayat. The PGK could thus play a critical role in creating a well-informed citizenry.
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