MNREGA only for backward, tribal areas

New Delhi, September 15, 2014: Centre on Monday pointed out that the rural job scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MNREGA) may be restricted only to tribal and backward districts of the country.

Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the MNREGA guaranteeing up to 100 days of unskilled work in a year to every rural household was not required in areas having higher growth. “MNREGA is not required in areas where per capita income is high, higher growth rate and higher agricultural growth rate... it is required only in tribal sector and (areas of) poor,” he said about the government’s view on MNREGA launched by UPA.

It may be mentioned that the Government of India has allocated around Rs. 33,000 crore for the scheme in 2014-15.

Launched in 2005, MNREGA has been an important source of income for millions of rural households - on an average 25 per cent of the rural households seeks employment under the Act, annually.

MNREGA, the flagship programme of the Congress-led UPA government, has contributed to increased rural wages across the country, empowerment of marginalised sections and improved natural resource management.

Source: Nagaland Post