Union Minister launches Ombudsperson App for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA

What is the News?

The Union Minister for Rural Development has launched the Ombudsperson App for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

What is an Ombudsman?

The word “ombudsman” is derived from the Swedish word ombudsman which in turn is based on the Old Norse “umboosmaor” meaning representative. 

Ombudsman are appointed to investigate complaints (usually lodged by private citizens) against a service or an administrative authority.Though they are usually appointed by governments, private companies can also have them.

Ombudsman for  MGNREGA

As per the MGNREGA act, the states are mandated to appoint Ombudsperson in districts with the objective of receiving grievances, enquiring and passing awards related to implementation of MGNREGA.

However, appointment of Ombudsperson has not yet been made in many districts.

Why has the Ombudsperson App been developed for the MGNREGA Act?

The app has been developed to enable smooth reporting and categorization of grievances by Ombudsperson based on complaints he received from various sources related to the implementation of the MGNREGA. 

Moreover, the app can also be used for tracking the awards passed by Ombudsperson on each case as per the guidelines. 

Ombudsperson can also easily upload the quarterly and annual reports on the website through the app.

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Minister launches Ombudsperson App for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA” published in PIB on 25th February 2022.