Govt to launch rural employment scheme

The Andhra Pradesh government will launch the Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (APREGS) in 13 districts of the state on February 2, 2006.

The launch is to coincide with the national launch of the scheme by the Union government in around 150 backward districts in the country under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The 13 districts in which APREGS would be implemented are Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal, Ranga Reddy, Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Cuddapah, Ananthapur, Chittoor and Vizainagaram.

Launching the communication campaign for the publicity of the scheme, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Union minister for Rural Development, said, "The uniqueness of the scheme is that it is not just a programme but an Act that empowers the rural unemployed in our country to seek employment. It is one of its kind in the world."

Singh was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop and an orientation programme conducted for district collectors, district officers, zilla parishad chairmans and other elected representatives of panchyati raj institutions, organised at the MCR HRD Institute auditorium. The Act planned to be implemented by the Union governemnt from February onwards ensures at least 100 days of employment in a year, to individuals from a single family and thereby ensure livelihood security.

Under the APREGS, all the families registered with the gram panchayat will be given 'Job Cards'. The kind of work to be primarily undertaken through the scheme are manual jobs involving water conservation, rain water harvesting, earth works, prevention of drought related works, planting of saplings, creating ponds and irrigation canals and other minor water works.