Implementation of MGNREGS in Meghalaya

At the village level there is a Village Employment Council constituted under paragraph 7A of MGNREGS, by every village constituting of every male and female heads of each household. Three elected members from each VEC including the traditional headmen and female member constituted a Council. The Secretary for the VEC is elected by the members of the VEC from among the three representatives excluding the headman. These three Office bearers of VEC to represent the AEC are elected in a general body meeting of VEC in the presence of the Programme Officer (PO) or his representative. Office bearers of VEC work on voluntary basis. Each VEC is vested with powers and functions of Gram Sabha as prescribed under the Act and assisted by a Community Coordinator.

The Area Employment Councils (AECs) is constituted at the Cluster level comprising of villages with in a 2.5km radius. There is one or more VECs within the jurisdiction area of an AEC. All the areas should be contiguous to existing Gram Sevak Circle of the Block as far as practicable. Any dispute of settling the jurisdiction of the AEC is referred to the Deputy Commissioner for final decision. 
This council consists of 3(three) elected representatives (reps) from each VEC falling under the jurisdiction area of one AEC. The election process may be in the presence of at-least 70% attendance of the VEC members and the PO or representative. The total members of the AEC should not exceed 20 (twenty) numbers and 30% of the members of AEC must be women.
The office bearers of the AEC comprise of an elected Chairperson, Secretary and members, who will be elected in the presence of PO or representatives. Chairperson and Secretary will be empowered by the Council to operate a joint Bank account in a Nationalised Bank under the jurisdictional area of the Council or its vicinity in the name of the Council and maintain proper accounts/records of all receipts and disbursements / transactions. The member of the AEC will work on voluntary basis.
The jurisdiction area of AECs shall be identified by the Block Development Officer in consultation and concurrence with the VECs. The AECs function in close coordination with the involvement of the members of the VEC while implementing, monitoring and supervising the works of each village. All the works must be clearly approved and sanctioned for each village separately.
Each AEC is vested with powers, functions, roles and responsibilities of a Gram Panchayat by the District Programme Officer/Programme Officer.

The existing Block Selection Committee has been notified as Block Employment Councils (BECs) for every block. Each Block Employment Council is invested with the responsibilities of the Block Panchayat. It finalize and approve block level plan which consists of consolidated shelf of projects to be taken up under the scheme, supervise and monitor the projects taken up in the block and perform such other functions as may be assigned by the DEC and the State Council. Each BEC is vested with powers, functions, roles and responsibilities of a Block Panchayat. The BEC will identify the works to the tune of 25% of total entitled allocation. These works shall be preferably those works involving two or more villages. However the works shall be implemented by involving the concerned VECs.
The BEC shall be guided by the PO/BDO. The BDOs and the line Departments shall execute the works identified and approved by the BEC as per the provisions of the NREGS by actively involving VECs.
The BDOs and the line Departments are identified as implementing agencies based on the technical expertise available with them for the 8 different permissible categories of works under schedule I of NREG Act, 2005.

At the District level, the Governing Body of the DRDA has been notified as the District Employment Council and invested with the responsibilities of the District/Zila Panchayat. The District Employment Council is the principal authority for planning and implementation of the Scheme. The DEC approves the District Employment Guarantee Scheme Plan, which includes the consolidated Block  plans, its own proposals and project proposals received from other line departments. It shall also review the programme implementation, supervise and monitor projects taken up at the District and Block levels and perform such other works as may be assigned by the State Council.
For structuring the above model it took 6(six) months and finally a clearance from the Ministry was received in July 2006 with certain suggestions for amendment in our State Scheme. State Scheme was notified in July 2006. Intensive training and capacity buildings were given to AEC / VEC members and Block Employment Committee members to equip them with the knowledge of implementation procedures by SIRD and District Programme Coordinators both at the district and block levels. Orientation Course to Computer Operators and all the stakeholders were also a tremendous task.