Impressed with the work done by Gujarat in use of geographic information system, a central expert group has recommended the state's programme as a "base model" to develop a "national framework" for utilisation of the technology in monitoring and implementation of NREGA.

The expert group, headed by Rural Development Ministry Secretary B K Sinha, noted in a recent meeting that Gujarat has done "relatively fair amount of work" on the use of GIS.

The Gujarat model can be studied as a "base model" and further improved to develop a broad "national framework" for the use of the technology under NREGA, it recommended.

The 16-member expert group, which also includes a representative from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), recommended that a list of all GIS databases, which could be useful for the plan, be prepared apart from a list of institutions which have expertise on use of the technology.

The Ministry of Rural Development constituted the expert group in July in an effort to make the implementation of NREGA and its monitoring more effective.

"The initiative of the ministry aims at strengthening decentralised participatory planning process, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA by using GIS and Geo-ICT tools," a Ministry official said.

The group will develop an appropriate methodology for collection, collation, storage and processing of data on natural resources in a given region.

"A working model would be finalised by the expert group for its nationwide roll out," the official said.

The use of GIS will not only help in monitoring the implementation of NREGA but managing the assets being created under the flagship programme, he said.

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) permits work relating to water conservation and harvesting, drought proofing which includes afforestation and plantation, flood protection and drainage works and road construction in rural areas apart from canal and other minor and micro-irrigation works, horticulture plantation and land development works.

"The use of GIS will help capture existing assets (created under NREGA) with their location, status and other information on the basis of which periodic assessment can be done and policy for their management can be developed," the official added.