Rs 33k cr rural jobs scheme didn't work, admits Govt

[Mad Indian]

Rs 33k cr rural jobs scheme didn't work, admits Govt - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: It was UPA 1's winning mantra. But the Rs 33,000 crore a year rural job guarantee scheme may be floundering with the government admitting the flagship programme suffers from delayed payments, poor awareness, lack of durable assets, faulty job cards and muster rolls.

The finance ministry has echoed some of the major criticisms of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act listing endemic "lack of awareness about rights and entitlements" and inability of workers' to submit written applications as significant drawbacks.

Patchy maintenance of records like job cards, dated receipts and incomplete muster rolls also indicate the scheme is not reaching beneficiaries or is prone to leaks and manipulation. Shortage of dedicated personnel is affecting the task of measuring and certifying completed works.

Responding to queries posed by members of Parliament's standing committee on finance, the ministry notes "delay in wage payments and poor coverage of banks and post offices" along with "conduct and quality of social audits" are among major challenges experienced during implementation of the job scheme.

More than five years after its rollout - during which it has been hailed for boosting the rural economy and being a buffer against extreme penury - opinion is more divided with calls for recasting the job scheme growing louder and some quarters insisting the programme embodies non-productive expenditure.

A major lacunae that MNREGA funds are used for works of a non-permanent nature and divert government spending from more productive sectors of the economy is reflected in the ministry's assessment that there is a need to "make assets more durable and productive." Without permanent assets, the money would evaporate.

The finance ministry's comments are an official endorsement of the ills that have crept into the scheme with feedback from states and MPs often indicating that district administrations were hard put to spend sanctioned amounts and often took to sanctioning unnecessary works to use the funds. False records and local functionaries hoarding job cards or extracting cuts is common.

In its submission, the finance ministry does note that the rural employment ministry has tried to increase awareness, increase administrative expenditure, expand use of information technology, institute audits and provide for independent monitoring and verification.

Other aspects of MNREGA that need attention, according to the finance ministry include slow grievance redress that is complicated by beneficiaries finding it difficult to approach authorities. The task becomes even more hazardous if those in office are responsible for malpractices in the first place.

 

[SADAKHUSH]

Way to go Congressi bhai. If it true than put it in to scandal file along with the previously known scams. How can we save Bharatvarsh from these cockroaches?

 

[Mad Indian]

Way to go Congressi bhai. If it true than put it in to scandal file along with the previously known scams. How can we save Bharatvarsh from these cockroaches?

by not voting for it ?

 

[VIP]

Increase the level of education and increase private establishments so it would automatically raise the opportunities.Socialism has been ruining India, still govt. implements such policy for only poor people's vote.....

 

[spikey360]

Ah! Congress at its best. They should be awarded some prize for being the most consistent non-performing entity in the world.

 

[Iamanidiot]

NREGA screwed up agricultural productivity

 

[parijataka]

Not only is this a drain on the govts resources as given in the report by spending on non-productive projects, it is also hurting agriculture esp in harvesting season. In my native place now instead of hiring manual labour the farmers are hiring a harvester for that period. Govt through its new Food Security Bill will spend money to provide food at low cost, keep down MSP for farmers and deprive farming of labour. Our agriculture sector, suffering as it is due to govt interference, will be further pushed to the brink.

We need to encourage agriculture and industry like Gujarat. Gujarat despite being one of the water deficient states has shown double digit growth in agriculture in past decade [being no 1 state in agri growth] along with impressive growth in industry. Gujarat is also one of the top milk producing states. Industry is providing much needed employment to the youth of Gujarat.

Gujarat govt organises job fairs to place 65k youths

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat government today announced that about 500 placement fairs organised by it over the last few months in different parts of the state enabled 65,000 youths to procure jobs.

These placements fairs were organised as part of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda by the Labour and Employment Department and were named 'Swami Vivekananda Yuva Rojgar Mela'.

"We had conducted surveys in 184 industrial estates of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation to identify jobs for the youth," Labour Minister Vaju Vala told mediapersons here today.

"After talking to various companies, we were able to identify one lakh vacancies which were then notified through the employment exchanges," he said.

According to Vala, nearly 500 placement fairs were organised since December last year in which over 1.26 lakh youths participated, and more than 76,000 were shortlisted after primary screening.

"In all 65,000 youths were selected by various private companies which include 52,000 who got regular employment, while 13,000 were selected for apprenticeship," Vala said.

During the placement fairs, employers from 2,287 companies participated and did the initial screening as per their requirements, he said adding out of them, 662 were big units, 1071 were medium-sized and 554 were small units.

Vala said that these youths will be given their appointment letters by Chief Minister Narendra Modi during four functions in Rajkot, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Surat to be organised between April 9 to April 13.

The jobs have been provided in technical fields, followed by accountancy, clerical and others, Director Employment and Training, Sonal Mishra said.

The education qualification of these youths ranged from SSC to BE and BTech and 10-12 per cent are women candidates.

Mishra further said that government would also open 20 centres across 15 Industrial Training Institutes for training youths in new technologies which have been identified.

The state government has identified four technologies like Solar power, CNC (Computer Numerical Control), automobile servicing and chemicals which have tremendous potential. The training period ranges from one month to six months which would be provided at a nominal fee of Rs 50, she said.