Empowering Communities through Natural Resource Management Committees
The government of Meghalaya under the Community and Rural Development Department amended the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act 2005 for the formation of the Natural Resource Management Committees NRMCs in each and every VEC in the State.
The NRMC Committees shall be entrusted with the identification of NRM works, making recommendations to the VEC on NRM Activities that can be included in the Shelf of Projects (SoP), and supervising the implementation and execution of the NRM Plan of the VEC. Accordingly, there has to be a clear-cut indication of the budget breakup in the ratio of 60:40 of the VECs Annual Action Plan for the NRM and non-NRM Shelf of Projects. This has to be mandatorily carried out during the Annual Action Plan preparation by the VEC.
These committees are also being formed to ensure participatory planning of NRM activities under MGNREGA, monitor and ensure that a significant amount of funds is utilized for addressing issues of water scarcity, soil degradation, and all other environmental problems. The committee will also aim to build on existing projects when new projects are designed and to involve other schemes and departments. The committees should look for opportunities to build projects with neighboring VECs as well.
