Rural jobs scheme: Madhya Pradesh among top 10 states

Bhopal, Feb 22 (IANS) The image of Madhya Pradesh’s villages has drastically changed as a result of effective implementation of the central government’s flagship rural jobs scheme, making it among the top 10 implementing states, an official statement said Friday.

According to the latest quarterly report of the Planning Commission’s Delivery Monitoring Unit (DMU), Madhya Pradesh stood fifth in total spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), sixth in making employment available to needy families, sixth in generation of mandays, seventh in the number of families accomplishing 100-day work and 10th in generation of scheduled mandays.

“Through MNREGA convergence, 58 percent permanent assets have been constructed, which is the highest in the country,” the statement said, adding: “Madhya Pradesh is constantly registering better performances at the national level.”

Since last year till date Rs.20,942 crore has been spent on beneficiary-oriented and community-based works. Of this, Rs. 12,486.67 has been spent on unskilled labour.

During the last year, employment worth 14,972.75 lakh mandays was provided to needy rural labourers. Of these, employment worth 2,733.41 lakh mandays was made available to scheduled caste labourers and 6,528.52 lakh mandays to scheduled tribe labourers, the statement said.

Forty-three percent of women were provided employment worth 6,478.83 mandays last year.

“Success has been achieved through MNREGA to prevent migration of labourers to other states in search of employment since they are getting 100-day employment in their villages itself,” the statement said.

The state government has also decided to appoint 21 MNREGA Lokpals in seven divisions for monitoring works under the act.

“Besides, a vigilance cell has also been constituted in Madhya Pradesh State Employment Guarantee Council in pursuance of operational guidelines of the union rural development ministry and a senior officer has bee appointed as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner,” the statement said.

IANS 2013-02-22 21:40:01