‘New employment guarantee scheme for betterment’

Chairman of the Twenty Point Programs Lanka Dinakar said on Wednesday that the new employment guarantee program "Viksit Bharat G RAM G" was a testament to the creation of quality assets in villages and a check for bogus payments. He opined that the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) requires structural reforms in accordance with the ground reality and recalled that the need for reform became even more evident after a comprehensive review was conducted in the state.

He welcomed the modified scheme and explained that it is intended to provide for targeted and transparent implementation. Giving two instances, he mentioned about increasing the existing guarantee of employment of 100 days per year to every rural household to 125 days per year and also providing for payment of unemployment allowance by the state government if the person seeking work under MGNREGA is not provided employment within 15 days.

He also stated that keeping in view the genuine problems faced by the farmers on availability of labor during the farming season, the provision for suspension of the program for 60 days in the agricultural season is a very important provision. This will provide rural labourers employment opportunities for 125 days under government schemes and additional 60 days in agricultural season, he informed.