Andhra Pradesh

Medak plans novel job scheme

Sangareddy: Medak district administration is working on a nutrition and smart card linked employment guarantee programme in two mandals with the active participation of School of Business Management, Hyderabad Central University and the Indian School of Business. While one of the two business schools will be studying the impact the other would act as a third party evaluator.

The district, which has made its mark in paying wages to the NREGP beneficiaries through post offices and banks, would hereafter pay the wages in advance in the shape of essential commodities.

Explaining the concept, district Collector B. Venkatesam told The Hindu that it has been found that the daily wage earners lack required energy levels to work on hard surfaces leading to lesser levels of working hours. Instead of paying the wages at the end of the work, the administration would issue pulses and other essential food materials to the NREGP beneficiaries through selected fair prices shops or merchants.

The commodities could either be purchased with money or the Smart Card to be issued to them under the financial inclusion programme implemented by the Lead bank-State Bank of India in the district.

Taking a leaf from the Bangladesh model, the administration hopes to issue mobile phones with SMS facility to the beneficiaries in the selected mandals and the targeted groups picked up for the study.

The beneficiaries could purchase the commodities at once or in stages in whatever denominations they like to.

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