Nagaland soon to implement “Direct Benefit Transfer”

Dimapur, September 17: Soon Nagaland will implement “Direct Benefit Transfer” (DBT) scheme under MGNREGA from the coming financial year. The wages of MGNREGA workers would be directly credited to the individual accounts of the job-card holders who have actually carried out the works on the basis of Rs 177 per day as daily wage through National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS)-Public Financial Management System (PFMS), said the Rural Development Secretary Kelei Zeliang. 

This move would ensure transparency and check corruption at all levels. To avail the benefit, Secretary Kelei said every job-card holder must have a bank account duly linked with Aadhaar, unlike the present practice where wages of MGNREGA workers are paid by cash through the VDBs. He said in the new system “no cash payment would be possible.”

Secretary Kelei also informed that if any job-card holder needs employment, he/she must ask for work from their respective BDOs, who have been designated as PO, MGNREGA.

“Every job seeker will be given employment within 15 days. On being provided employment and measurement of work taken thereof, muster rolls will be filled and uploaded in the NREGA-Soft MIS,” he added. The concerned PO will prepare the bills, digitally sign them and generate Fund Transfer Order (FTO). Once FTO is generated, Kelei said, it would directly go to the Program Division of Ministry of Rural Development (New Delhi), which will then sanction and transfer wage amount straight to the workers account through PFMS.

In this regard, Kelei has asked all MGNREGA workers both under bank covered blocks and un-banked blocks in the State to open their bank accounts immediately. He further informed that the job-card holders, interested to work at the rate of Rs 177 per day as their wage, may demand works from the concerned BDOs so that they would be provided works within 15 days.