Centre to appoint Lok Karmi in panchayats to aid villagers

With illiteracy being a major stumbling block in implementation of its schemes in rural areas, the Centre is considering to appoint an educated person from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes or minority communities in each panchayat as Lok Karmi to help villagers.

In a draft proposal, the ministry of rural development has also sought to engage non-government organisations in the ambitious programme by designating them as Lok Sewaks, who would in turn appoint and guide Lok Karmis in their territorial jurisdiction, which would not be more than four blocks in a district.

Seeking to secure maximum participation of rural women in the programme, the Ministry has proposed that Lok Karmis should preferably be women and men be appointed if a suitable women in not available in the area.

"Every Lok Sevak must ensure that not less than 50 per cent of the selected candidates are women," the draft Lok Sewak and Lok Karmi scheme of the ministry proposes.

The proposal seeks to support those people in rural areas who are 'largely non-literate, poor and at the bottom of the social hierarchy,' an official said.

Citing the example of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act workers, he said many of them are unable to record their rights or to articulate their demands in a written form as they are not literate.

In its proposal, the ministry has sought to enable NREGA workers identify and propose the names of suitable Lok Karmi candidate either from among themselves or from their local community.

"Lok Karmi should have cleared Class XII. In case of non-availability of 12th class pass candidates, candidates up to 8th class pass may be considered," it said.

Lok Sevaks will be selected by a selection committee through a transparent process at state level.

The committee, to be headed by state secretaries, will comprise an eminent person as a nominee of the rural development ministry, a representative from Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology, a representative from National Institute of Rural Development, a representative of state government and a reputed NGO.

The scheme proposes that Lok Karmis will disseminate information about government schemes, including NREGA, and assist beneficiaries in in writing applications, interfacing with panchayats and banks.

Lok Karmis would regularly report through 'established channels' about status of implementation of NREGA and other programmes at the grass-roots level.

"They will also coordinate with functionaries of other development programmes, particularly literacy, education, health, nutrition, skill development, livelihood promotion, financial institutions,agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery, forest and other allied activities. . .," it said.