The Hindu Business Line : Bill on job guarantee likely in winter session

THE UPA Government, in keeping with its National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), is likely to introduce a Bill in Parliament for enacting the Employment Guarantee Act (EGA) during the forthcoming winter session.

The EGA will provide a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment on asset creating public works programmes each year at minimum wages for at least one able-bodied person in each rural, urban poor and lower middle-class household.

"We are consulting various experts for the EGA and are working towards introducing the EGA bill in Parliament in the session commencing from December 1," the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr R.P. Singh, said while inaugurating the fifth `Editors' Conference on Social Sector Issues' here on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Rural Development has also called upon the banks to make available loans with low-interest rates to the rural population. "Rural poor are not a priority for the banks. They charge about 10-12 per cent interest rates from the rural poor, which is as high as compared to those available for the urban sector," said Mr Singh, adding, "If the banks don't streamline the lending procedures for the rural sector, we would approach the Government to provide interest subsidy for the rural segment."

Additionally, in order to design skill development as an activity to impart training in marketable skills to the rural youth, the Government has set up an inter-ministerial group (IMG). "The rural people can be trained in various skills, including manufacturing bamboo-based furniture, tailoring, pickles, etc. The group would explore the possibility of partnership with industry to leverage their marketing network for the product of self-help groups," Mr Singh said.

Pointing out that funds are not enough to provide housing for the homeless under the Indira Awas Yojna (IAY), the Minister said: "Around 1.5 crore of the Indian population are homeless."