Nine months after the centre directed state governments to appoint ombudsmen to keep a watch on the implementation of NREGA, the state governments are still grappling with the clauses and sub clauses of the centre’s instruction thus further delaying the appointments.

And though the centre issued clarifications on the doubts (many would call silly and aimed at delaying the appointments) raised by the states way back in March, the states are still to act.

Barring Punjab none of the states have appointed ombudsmen.

Sample one of the clarifications sought by states -

“As para 2.1 of the instruction dated 07.09.2009 ‘the state government may appoint one or more person, as the ombudsman in district.’ In para 7 of the above mentioned instructions ‘in case of heavy load of cases not more than two deputy ombudsmen may be provided to assist the ombudsman in disposal of cases in each district. Whether in case of appointment of more than one ombudsman they will have a separate entity and how the work will be distributed among them.”

Another clarification sought is as follows: “Para 9.1.1 of the instructions provides for filing of complaint against the gram sabha with the ombudsman. Whether a group complaint can be lodged against all persons present in the gram sabha?” The centre had issued the instructions to all the states to appoint ombudsmen within three months of the order on September 9 last year. The centre’s directive had come in the wake of rising number of cases of corruption in the implementation of NREGA.