Following demand made by various States to provide wages under MNREGA on a par with wages of agriculture labourers, the Union Government had constituted a committee which had recommended that the daily wages should be equal to wage of agriculture labourers. Implementing this decision will entail a financial burden of about Rs2,000 crore annually so a proposal had been submitted to the Finance Ministry as well. This was announced by the Rural Development Minister Choudhary
Virendra Singh while convening review meeting of MP Adarsh Gram Scheme in Dehradun on Thursday.
He said that the review meetings of MP Adarsh Gram Yojna have been held in 18 States so far with Uttarakhand’s convergence being better than other States. In this scheme industries’ cooperative social responsibility (CSR) fund should be utilised. As Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have lesser industries, these states are not utilising the CSR as per the expectation. For this, the Government will hold a meeting in the third week of February in Mumbai inviting top 400 industries to it for motivating them to divert their CSR to such States, where industries are lesser in numbers.
He disclosed that 700 parliamentarians including lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members have selected Adarsh Gram in their constituencies. The main emphasis under this scheme would be on four aspects- availability of electricity, water supply through pipeline, road connectivity and development of primary and middle schools for education. Kitchen and dining hall can be constructed in schools thorugh MNREGA. Following the advise of MPs, Singh said that its review should be conducted every three months. To ensure 100 per cent employment in border villages, skill development centres can be established. If State provides building then center’s training and faculty expense would be brone by the union government. In Dehradun’s Adarsh Gram a scheme has been made for construction of multi purpose buildings also including office in rural areas. He said, “We are going to bring amendment in MNREGA and its ratio of 60:40 on labour and material respectively. MPs have demanded that union government should provide special fund for the village so we would study the possibility for this. Following the demand of Uttarakhand and other states, we had constituted a committee and it recommended that MNREGA labour wage should be equal to agriculture labour.” In Uttarakhand, the MNREGA daily wage is Rs181 while agriculture labour rate is Rs204 per day.
In his address, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that there is a need to develop self sustainability model in villages.On that basis other village development schemes can be prepared. In Uttarakhand Rs28 crore has been sanctioned for MP Adarsh Gram scheme and Rs15 crore has been released while Rs nine crore has been spent so far. If MPs submit proposal on the basis of convergence then State Government would give its full support. Stating that Rs458 crore had been spent under PMGSY while centre has given mere Rs312 crore, he demanded that centre should compensate Rs142 crore to the State as well.
Post 2013 disaster, Union Government had asked the State Government to divert money from the onoing State’s Budget so the State had spent Rs62 crore but was yet to receive the money from Union Government.
Currently, 1122 settlements are without road link. Under PMGSY the norm for mountainous regions is 250 people. As reported that 100 people norm is being set for border villages, the number of settlements without road links would be 2,000. The State has sent DPR for 179 roads under PMGSY to the Union Government, said the CM while also demanding that union government approve these and also allocate required budget for the same. He also said that union government is giving lesser money for drinking water if compared to earlier allocation. Considering this world bank approved SWAP second phase should be implemented with immediate effect, Rawat demanded. State has increased the percentage of SC/ST in Indira Awas Yojana so he demanded that the State to divert the benefit to general category citizens in case the adequate number of SC/ST beneficiaries is not found. In MNREGA transportation cost limit should be increased to 50 per cent in place of 40 per cent while the administrative cost should be increased upto eight percent in place of six percent.
CM also said that MP Adarsh Gram Yojana’s special cell will be constituted and its review will be held every three months. Works, which are being executed under MPlAD and MlA lAD certification right should be given to MP/MlA so that quality can be maintained. The government should also allow fencing work to protect farm lands from wildlife under MNREGA.
During the meeting union minister of State (PMO) Jitender Singh, Uttarakhand rural development minister Preetam Singh. Uttarakhand’s MP Ex CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Ex CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Mala Rajya lakshmi Shah and Tarun Vijay were present. Besides, MPs from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir also made their presentations. Joint secretary MNREGA Union Government Aparajita Sarangi informed about the schemes and a mobile application was also launched later on the occasion.