Meghalaya ready to launch Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

Shillong, May 2 (UNI) The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will be formally launched in Meghalaya on May 4, aiming at providing 100 days of employment to unemployed people with a minimum wage of Rs 70 per day.

The scheme, to be launched on Thursday here, would initially cover the West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills districts, AICC secretary Major (retired) Ved Prakash said here today.

'' This scheme was promised in the Congress manifesto and it will cover all the districts of the country within the next five years.

While the Centre would bear 90 per cent of the cost, the remaining 10 per cent would be borne by the state governments,'' said Prakash, who is the AICC secretary in-charge of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu&Kashmir.

The Congress leader said the party high command has directed the workers to reach out to the villagers and help them reap the benefits of the employment guarantee scheme.

''The Congress workers have been directed to visit villages to make the people aware of the benefits of the new scheme,'' he said.

UNI SG KK/SRC1906