HP seeks enhancing 100 days limit to 150 days under NREGA

Shimla, Oct 2 (UNI) Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta today urged the Central Government to enhance the 100 days limit of providing guaranteed wage employment under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) to 150 days in a financial year in Himachal Pradesh.

He was speaking in the National Level Conference on ''Interaction on Implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme'' held at New Delhi today.

He said that parameters for hill states like Himachal Pradesh should be different from other states and urged the Centre to consider this aspect.

The Minister said that since the number of households that avail 100 days of employment in a financial year are very less, so the extension was a must for the success of the scheme.

He said that NREGA provides a statutory guarantee of wage employment and there is a 15-day time limit for fulfilling the legal guarantee of providing employment. He said these provisions are not applicable in Himachal Pradesh's snowbound and tribal areas where the working season is limited and no work can be undertaken during heavy snowfall.

He said that the state government should be allowed to declare non-working period in such areas so as to avoid any legal binding of providing employment or un-employment allowance during this period.

UNI XC HS MMS1952