MGNREGA And Other Schemes Modified

MGNREGA And Other Schemes Modified

MGNREGA is a flagship rural employment scheme which was proposed by the UPA government. The Modi government continues to use this scheme though it has made changes to make it “development-oriented”. The programme which assures 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to rural households has had its fair share of controversies.

As per the FM's speech , the government aims at providing wage and self employment opportunities in rural areas and through MGNREGA aim will be to channel asset creation linked to agriculture and allied activities. The Modi government has allocated Rs . 34, 000 crore for the scheme while the outlay for the same last year was Rs. 33,000 crore.

The government has also assured safe drinking water around 20,000 habitations. Potable drinking water is not available in many parts of India. Water is contaminated with arsenic, fluoride, heavy elements and pesticides via community water purification plans in the next 3 years. Around Rs. 3600 crore has been allocated under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme. The NDA government has announced a "Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme" with an initial corpus of Rs. 100 crore.

The corpus of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund/RIDF operated by NABARD has risen to Rs. 25 ,000 crore for the creation of infrastructure in agricultural and other sectors of the rural economy. Rural road connectivity has also received enhanced attention with Rs . 14, 389 crore alloted under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana which commenced during the NDA government in the year 2005.

The Centre would also aim to restructure the Backward Region Grant Fund which is being implemented currently in 272 backward districts in around 27 states for filling up critical gaps for the development of key infrastructure and capacity building of gram sabhas as well as panchayats. Intra-district inequalities would be restructured.

Provision of bank loans for women SHG/Self Help Groups at 4% under the Ajevika scheme can be extended to another 100 districts. The NDA government has committed for the continuation of UPA's flagship Food Security Act as well to ensure that poor people are able to access wheat and rice at subsidised prices. Budgetary allocation has also risen to Rs. 1.15 crore as compared to Rs. 92,000 crore during the previous financial year.

Stocks in the central pool are now ready for meeting any emergency . The government is also committed to food sector reforms as well as the restructuring of the FCI. The government has also proposed an allocation of Rs. 5 ,000 crore for scientific infrastructure. The new revisions to programmes certainly provide food for thought .