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With prices of essential commodities on the rise, a strong demand was made by MPs at a parliamentary committee to increase the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) wages to Rs 200 a day.
At the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee on MGNREGA, attended by the Rural Development Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, MPs including Trinamool Congress-supported SUCI lawmaker Mr Tarun Mandal also demanded 300 days job under the scheme for rural poor.
“A strong demand was made in the meeting that the government should take steps to double the MGNREGA payment, considering the inflation and shooting prices of the essential commodities,” a source said.
The MPs pointed out that the current wage of Rs 100 is “minimal” and the rural poor should be assured 300-day job a year under the scheme as it would assure them “a decent living” throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramesh informed the MPs that the Centre will unveil new guidelines for MGNREGA to give authorities greater flexibility to implement the flagship scheme and particularly address the complaints of delayed payments of wages.
Naxal-affected States
“Flexibility in the guidelines, special focus in Naxal-infested areas and skill development programmes will be the three priority areas in future implementation of the rural job scheme,” Mr Ramesh said in the meeting.
The Centre's move came after it received complaints from the Naxal-affected States such as Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where wages were not paid in some areas for periods ranging from nine months to a year.
Admitting that delay in the payment of wages to workers is the biggest problem facing MGNREGA, Mr Ramesh told the Committee that “special focus” would be given in Naxal-affected areas. The Minister had visited Maoist-hit areas of Chhattisgarh last month and stated that his Ministry would give greater “flexibility” to the Collectors and the elected representatives to implement the schemes in these areas.
Trust deficit
He had also vowed to focus on the 60 districts hit by the Left-wing extremism in the country where, according to him, there is a “trust deficit” between the people and civilian administration.
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