MP govt to take help of voluntary bodies for development schemes

The Madhya Pradesh government will soon launch a policy to seek support of voluntary organisations in development activities like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan set the deadline of the policy by this year-end in a programme ‘Panchayat’ organised at his residence recently. As many as 1,500 voluntary organisations participated in the programme and demanded an organised status for them.

Schemes like NREGS will now be implemented through voluntary organisations. The state government will grant 50 per cent fund to those voluntary organisations, which take up tasks of rural development through various schemes.

Power consumption, plantation, education campaign, total cleanliness drive, malnutrition eradication drive, HIV, AIDS and blindness eradication drive, and Asha (midwife in rural areas) training drive will be the prime job of the voluntary organisations.

As many 1,250 voluntary organisations will be chosen to upgrade skills of their workers and a fund of Rs 1 crore will be earmarked soon for the purpose.

On the other hand representatives of voluntary organisations demanded, accreditation, an integrated computerised system so that people can identify the recognised organisations and participation in development activities.

The chief minister also announced creation of a directory of the voluntary organisations and introducing a grading system for them so that they can be channelised in development activities.