Raghuvansh Prasad calls for concerted awareness on NREGA

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) Union Rural Development Minister Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today called for creating more awareness regarding the transparent implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) across the country.

Highlighting the importance of awareness and transparency in implementation of the programme, he said participation of the people and their representation in the planning process and implementation were the important elements for successful implementation of NREGA.

Addressing a conference organised by the Institute of Social Sciences, here on ''the implementation of NREGA and Panchayats'', the minister reiterated the implementation part of NREGA as a success.

He said so far 2.93 crore rural BPL households have got employment under the Act and 1.09 crore mandays of work has been generated this year. He expressed hope that by the end of this financial year the number of rural household getting work under NREGA will be around 4-5 crore.

Dr Singh described the payment of NREGA wages through bank/post office accounts as the biggest financial inclusion in the world and said so far 4.22 crore such accounts of rural labourers have been opened. Now, there are 100 per cent NREGA job holders in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Puducherry receiving their wages in their bank/post office accounts.

He said the Act has provided eight benefits to rural households in the form of enhanced wages, principal role for Panchayati Raj institutions in the implementation of NREGA, use of MIS mechanism for all relevant details, provision of Janshri Bima Yojana, Aam Admi Bima Yojana and Health insurance cover for workers, villagers empowerment, provision of grievance redressal mechanism, provision of social audit and a toll free national helpline number.

He also highlighted the initiatives taken by the Rural Development ministry like taking cooperation of IITs, IIMs and universities in the process of creating awareness as well as the efforts of legal fraternity in the country for the cause of empowering the rural people in getting their legal rights so far reaping the benefits of NREGA were concerned.

UNI SD AKJ CS2000