(1) The Tahsildar or any other officer of the appropriate rank, as the State Government may decide, shall be designated as the Programme Officer for the implementation of the Scheme in the Taluka. The Block Development Officer of the Panchayat Samiti or any other taluka level officer of appropriate rank as the State Government may decide, shall be designated as the Joint Programme Officer :
Provided that, the State Government may also designate any officer of the appropriate rank for any rural area within the Panchayat Samiti area, as the Additional or Special Programme Officer.
(2) The Programme Officer and Joint Programme Officer shall, in such manner as the State Government or District Programme Co-ordinator may, by order direct, assist the Panchayat Samiti in discharging its functions under this Act and any Scheme made thereunder.
(3) The Programme Officer shall be responsible for matching the demand for employment with the employment opportunities arising from projects in the area under his jurisdiction.
(4) The Programme Officer shall prepare a plan for the Block under his jurisdiction by consolidating the project proposals prepared by the Gram Panchayats and the proposals received from Panchayat Samiti.
(5) The functions of the Programme Officer shall include,-
(a) monitoring of projects taken up by the Gram Panchayats and other implementing agencies within the Block ;
(b) sanctioning and ensuring payment of unemployment allowance to the eligible households;
(c) ensuring prompt and fair payment of wages to all labourers employed under a programme of the Scheme within the Block ;
(d) ensuring that regular social audits of all works within the jurisdiction of the Gram Panchayat are carried out by the Gram Sabha and that prompt action is taken on the objections raised in the social audit ;
(e) dealing promptly with all complaints that may arise in connection with the implementation of the Scheme within the Block ; and
(f) any other work as may be assigned to him by the District Programme Co-ordinator and Joint District Programme Co-ordinator or the State Government.
(6) The Programme Officer, Joint Programme Officer, Additional Programme Officer and Special Programme Officer shall function under the direction, control and superintendence of the District Programme Co-ordinator.
(7) The State Government may, by order, direct that all or any of the functions of the Programme Officer shall be discharged by a Joint Programme Officer, Additional Programme Officer or Special Programme Officer.
(8) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (7), the State Government may, by order, direct that all or any of the functions of a Programme Officer, Joint Programme Officer, Additional Programme Officer and Special Programme Officer shall be discharged by the Gram Panchayat or a local authority.
(9) The Joint Programme Officer shall assist the Programme Officer, Joint District Programme Co-ordinator and District Programme Co-ordinator in implementation of the Scheme for carrying out his functions under this Act and the Scheme made thereunder in respect of Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat concerned.