Ex-registrar of MSU appointed MGNERGS ombudsman

Vadodara: MS University’s former in-charge registrar and university engineer N J Ojha has been appointed as ombudsman for a period of two years under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNERGS), which is operational in all the eight talukas of Vadodara district.
Based on recommendation of the ombudsman state selection committee, the state government approved Ojha’s appointment for Vadodara district, Sajjansinh Amarsinh Padwal’s appointment for neighbouring Panchmahal district, as well as Dr Ranjitsinh Nayak and Bhargav Trivedi for Dahod and Chhota Udepur districts of Central Gujarat.
An ombudsman has the power to receive complaints from MGNREGA workers, consider such complaints, pass awards within 30 days from the date of receipt of complaint and issue direction for conducting spot investigation and also initiate proceedings ‘suo motu’ if there are any grievance including on issues related to delayed payment of wages or non-payment of unemployment allowance.
The ombudsman must report his award to the district programme coordinator of the district and secretary of state nodal department.
If the need arises, he can mark a copy to the chief secretary.
The report must specially highlight cases where action needs to be taken against the erring MGNREGA functionaries for their failure to redress the grievance.
Such reports must be accompanied with primary evidence needed to initiate action against the delinquent persons.