NREGA to be extended to all districts in Punjab

Chandigarh, Aug 5 (UNI) The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) Scheme, already been successfully implemented in Hoshiarpur district, would now be extended to in all the districts of Punjab.

The government would focus on 100 per cent utilisation of NREGA funds.

In a review meeting of NREGA scheme, held here today under the chairmanship of Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, directions were issued to officers to plan the proposals for the works in villages at the earliest for the timely release of central funds.

The Minister said that NREGA had already been successfully launched in Hoshiarpur ensuring hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household, whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual labour. He added that 1328 developmental works costing Rs 2500.21 lakh had been intiated in the district generating 15.57 lakh man-days.

He asked the officers to highlight the benefits of these centrally sponsored developmental schemes in the rural areas so that beneficiaries could avail the benefits. He said that major achievements of NREGA was providing employment opportunities to the rural youth who were indulging in taking drugs.

The rural men and women, who were engaged in development works under NREGA, had already changed their lifestyle, he claimed.

In the meeting he asked the officers to ensure proper utilisation of funds by personally monitoring and supervising all projects and to plug the leakage of funds so that the desired targets could be achieved.

UNI HS MMS1620