G.O.(Ms).No.25, Stone Bunding under MGNREGS, 2017-18
The Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department issued G.O.(Ms).No.25 on 21 February 2018, permitting 250 kilometres of stone bunding in hilly and sloping areas under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for 2017-18. The government approved a total cost of Rs.13.06 crore and guidelines covering eligible land, beneficiaries, construction and monitoring.
What the order authorises
G.O.(Ms).No.25 of the Tamil Nadu Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (CGS.1) Department, dated 21 February 2018, authorises 250 kilometres of stone bunding as a land development activity under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The approved total cost is Rs.13.06 crore, with the work treated as a 100% labour component and no material component.
Stone bunds are built along contour lines or field boundaries. They slow surface runoff, reduce soil erosion, improve rainwater infiltration and soil moisture, and help make stony or barren land suitable for agriculture or horticulture.
Land and people covered
The approved guidelines allow individual farmers' land and public land to be selected. Eligibility and site conditions include:
- Small, medium or marginal farmers, and Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe farmers.
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme job card holders.
- Farmers possessing less than five acres.
- Barren land containing abundant boulders, particularly hilly terrain.
- Gravelly soil that can help increase groundwater recharge.
- Beneficiaries and beneficiary names approved by the gram sabha.
The first phase is to cover contiguous groups of private land of a reasonable extent, stated as 30 to 50 acres or hectares. The approach may be reviewed based on experience.
Construction requirements
The stone bunding guidelines require the following:
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme labourers must carry out the work.
- Selected land must be dug to a depth of 0.30 metres using a crowbar.
- Stones measuring 40 millimetres or more must be collected from the land itself.
- Collected stones must be arranged in a trapezoidal section along the field bund or boundary.
- Intermediate bunds may be formed where more stones are available.
- No stones may be purchased, and no material cost is allowed for this work.
The cleared land may then be used for cultivation, while the bund helps harvest rainwater and surface water.
Records and monitoring
The approved guidelines require photographs before, during and after construction. Assets must be geo tagged within one month after completion, and each work must have a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme work file. Higher officials are to conduct periodic inspections using random sampling, with deterrent action required if ghost works are found.
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Common questions
Can stone bunding be carried out on my private farmland?
Yes. G.O.(Ms).No.25 allows individual farmers' land to be selected, subject to the stated eligibility, site conditions and gram sabha approval.
Must I buy stones for the bund?
No. Stones measuring 40 millimetres or more must be collected from the selected land itself. The guidelines prohibit procuring stones and do not allow a material cost for this activity.
Which types of land are suitable for stone bunding?
The guidelines identify barren land with abundant boulders, hilly terrain and gravelly soil as suitable. The work is intended to clear stony land for agriculture or horticulture while improving water retention and controlling erosion.
Does the work require gram sabha approval?
Yes. The eligible beneficiaries and their names must be approved by the gram sabha.
