Govt to consider using "citizen journalists" to monitor NREGA

NEW DELHI: The government will consider utilizing the services of some people as "citizen journalists" who would report on the status of implementation of its flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee programme.

The government will also recognize the efforts of the persons who would make "significant contributions" in spreading awareness about NREGA and its programes.

An "informal" decision in this regard was taken today by the Ministry of Rural Development during a round-table conference organised by it and chaired by Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh here on "Role of the Media in Strenghtening NREGA.

"We will consider utilizing the services of citizen journalists and also takle steps towards recognising the contributions of people inluding media persons for spreading awarenes about NREGA and its programmes. We, however, will plan out how these can be integrated before giving it a final shape," a top official of the Ministry said.

Of those participated the conference, about twelve journalists were from Bihar's Patna, Muzaffarpur, Hazipur districts and the Minister's constituency Vaishali while others were from the national capital.