Govt mulls NREGA-type scheme for urban poor

Buoyed by the success of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme, the government is mulling an NREGA-type poverty alleviation programme for the urban poor.

"The government is planning such a scheme (for urban poor)," Minister of State for Planning V Narayanasamy told reporters after assuming charge of his ministry here today.

Under the NREGA scheme, which was launched in February 2006, the government provides 100 days of assured employment in a year to at least one person in a rural household.

Initially launched in 200 districts, the NREGA scheme was gradually extended to cover the entire nation in 2008-09.

The new government, the Minister said, would focus on infrastructure development besides pursuing the employment guarantee scheme, anti-poverty programmes and rural and urban development projects.

"The govt will see that there is all round progress in the country," Narayanasamy said outlining the priority of the second-term of the UPA government.

Referring to the problem of diversion of funds provided by the Centre to the state governments for the centrally- sponsored schemes, the Minister said, "The UPA government would make strenuous efforts to deal with diversion of funds as well as changing the name of centrally-sponsored schemes by states."