Page 6 - Mgnregs
Centre issues half of rural job guarantee scheme allocation
The central government says it released about 49 per cent of the 2017-18 Budget allocation of Rs 48,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS).The financial year began on April 1. Part of the amount released on Monday will be used to clear pending dues of Rs 10,546 crore. It would also help in prioritising water conservation measures.According to an official statement, the amount released included all pending liabilities as on end-March. These are on account of pending wages, of Rs 4,926 crore, material expenditure amounting to Rs 5,430 crore and Rs 189 crore for administrative expenditure. After deduction of pending liabilities, Rs 37,454 crore would be available from the 2017-18 Budget allocation for new works. This can be added to during the year, through supplementary allocations, depending upon the demand.In 2016-17, a considerable amount the scheme's central budget was spent on clearing dues, of which Rs 6,700 crore was on account of ..
 "Centre issues half of rural job guarantee scheme allocation")
Centre spends 22% more on MGNREGS in FY16
The Centre's expenditure on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2015-16 was around Rs 43,848 crore, 22 per cent more than the Rs 36,025.04 crore incurred in the previous financial year.However, a statement by the Rural Development Ministry said Rs 56,000 was incurred on the scheme in 2015-16, but of this Rs 12,152 crore was paid in 2016-17 as arrears.This payment would now have to be deducted from the Budget allocation of 2016-17, which would also imply that extra funds would be needed in the current financial year to effectively run the programme. Also, despite higher spending in 2015-16 year-on-year, the total liabilities of around Rs 3,300 crore still remained.Besides, total expenditure in 2015-16 should actually have been Rs 60,000 crore if the money was spent on estimates of person-days made for the year.The Centre also claimed that the average person-days employment generated per household the last financial year fiscal under MNREGS was the
 "Centre spends 22% more on MGNREGS in FY16")
Letters: Time for a change
With reference to the editorial, "Allocations for MGNREGS" (April 14), no doubt the world's largest rural jobs programme has rendered immense service by channelling a massive, idle workforce into participating in nation-building.Also, compared to doles, wages earned through employment instil dignity, empathy, a sense of accomplishment, and enriches social ties among the employed.The MGNREGS has also met the national goal of ensuring food security for vulnerable sections of society.However, the job scheme has also had a negative effect. It has made farm labour scarce. Paying wages higher than those under MGNREGS to attract farm labour has made agriculture less remunerative than before.The time has come to dovetail MGNREGS with private agricultural operations in such a way that proprietor-cultivators pay only 50 per cent of the wages for labour hired and the rest comes from the MGNREGS budget.Ranjit Kumar Das BhubaneswarLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business S
