Imphal, August 25 2010: The overall charge of implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS) in the hill districts will be handed over to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) as a Cabinet meeting held today discussed the devolution of power to the ADCs.

Cabinet has approved to hand over the implementation of the MGNREGS in hill areas to a committee headed by the chairman of each ADC.

Earlier, in the absence of local self government, the scheme was being implemented under the District Rural Development Agency, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of each district.

The Cabinet meeting under the chair of Chief Minister O Ibobi in the Chief Minister's Secretariat which started at 2 pm prominently discussed devolution of power to the ADCs with the necessity arising after the revival of local self government in the hill areas after a gap of 20 years.

While discussing the agenda, commissioners of various departments were called up separately and were allowed to brief on the reports submitted by them regarding the transfer of powers of certain sectors of their respective departments to the ADCs.

The departments which would transfer certain sections of their functions to the control of the ADCs include agriculture, art and culture, adult education, co-operation, education (s), finance, fishery, forest, health and family welfare, horticulture, industries, science and technology, transport, tribal development, veterinary, water supply, youth affairs and sports, etc.

For the Minor Irrigation Department, no power will be transferred to the ADCs.

Otherwise each department has been asked to issue an office memoranda regarding devolution of powers to the ADC.

The Cabinet also approved the setting up of an engineering cell of the Minority and Other Backward Class (MOBC) by transferring a required Executive Engineer from a government department and appointment of Section Officers and other staffs on a contract basis.

Construction of a girls' hostel for the OBCs has also been approved by the Cabinet.