Rural development ministry turns down Parliament panel plea on NREGS

The Ministry of Rural Development has rejected the demand of a parliamentary standing committee to include the works of artisans, weavers and leather workers in the list of permissible works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The Central Employment Guarantee Council, constituted under the legislation establishing the rural jobs scheme to oversee it, had earlier turned down this recommendation of the standing committee on urban and rural development.

The committee, in its report tabled in Parliament last week, said it disagreed with this rejection of a recommendation meant to protect the interests of the craftsmen. However, in its Action Taken Report on the panel’s recommendations, the ministry says it will stay with the CEGC view.

“In the absence of any social security and the pitiable economic conditions of the craftsmen, the committee does not subscribe to the stand taken by the Council that their needs will be taken care of by the National Rural Livelihood Mission, which is yet to start in full swing. The committee, therefore, feel that since (this) is a countrywide programme, which guarantees 100 days of work (a year) in rural areas, the proposal should again be thoroughly examined by CEGC,'' the standing committee has said.

The committee has also suggested that data be obtained about the number of people who should be included under the scheme in different states.