Kerala asks Centre to include more sectors in NREGS

Kerala government has asked the Centre to include more sectors such as cattle farming, Khadi and Agriculture under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme considering the special circumstances prevailing in the state.

The state spend about Rs 1400 crore under NREGS for the year 2012-13, Kerala Minister for Information and Culture, K C Joseph, told reporters after a cabinet meeting here today.

The amount spend jumped from Rs 707 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 1400 crore in two years time, he pointed out.

"But it is unfortunate that the amount has been spend on unproductive sector," Joseph said, adding, the state has asked the Centre to include more productive fields under NREGS.

On cabinet decisions, he said the Horti Corporation has been permitted to intervene in the market to check prices of vegetables.

The Cabinet decided to recommend to the Kerala State Public Service Commission to extend for six months the rank lists of college teachers, which expires on March next, he added.