However, only 1.26 lakh photos have been clicked in both morning and evening within the period while the number of photos captured only in the morning is 39 lakh.

Published: 16th June 2023 11:36 AM

BHUBANESWAR: Over six months after it was launched to bring in transparency and ensure proper monitoring of MGNREGS, functioning of the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) in Odisha continues to be patchy even as its coverage in the state has been over 90 per cent. Blame it on poor connectivity and technical glitches.

Use of NMMS – an app-based attendance system (both mobile and web) for MGNREGA workers designed to root out fake workers and use of machines – was made mandatory by the Centre from January 1, 2023.

The Ministry of Rural Development had asked states to take time-stamped attendance of workers through the app – one in the morning and another in evening along with geo-tagged photographs of workers daily – six days a week. It is mandatory for all worksites where muster rolls are issued for 20 or more beneficiaries.

As per the ministry’s statistics, of the 6,794 gram panchayats in the state, NMMS is being implemented in 6,655. The number of eligible worksites in the panchayats are 19,564 and NMMS registration has been done in 18,915.

However, of the 31,436 mates who have registered for NMMS, as on date, only 14,089 mates are using it, which is 44 per cent. And 12,118 GRS are performing the task of the 27,948 who have registered.
At the grassroots where internet connectivity is an issue, the app fails to record attendance correctly.

The mates also said they invariably fail to upload the second photograph. Till June 15, the total number of community MGNREGS works done are 63,119. However, only 1.26 lakh photos have been clicked in both morning and evening within the period while the number of photos captured only in the morning is 39 lakh.

“The app crashes and does not take an upgrade. To reinstall it, we have to travel to GRS offices. During peak hours, uploading pictures is almost impossible.We travel to a place where we can access internet connectivity to upload the picture,” said a mate Sarat Das at Birighat gram panchayat in Khariar block of Nuapada.

MGNREGS activist Sameet Panda said the issues are manifold in the new exercise. “Although a second photograph is mandatory, it is not being uploaded in 99 per cent of the worksites and there is nobody to check any of the photographs which defeats the purpose of this digital attendance system. The app does not verify the person in the photograph is the actual worker or not,” he said.

A senior official of Panchayati Raj department said the department has written to the Ministry of Rural Development regarding the problems of connectivity, glitches in the app and non-feasibility of two time-stamped pictures.