New Delhi: In a politically significant statement, the government on Wednesday said it was not in favour of continuing with previous UPA government’s flagship MGNREGA scheme forever as it was for the poor and the Modi government’s larger goal was to eradicate poverty.
“I am not in favour of continuing with MNREGA forever. Because it is for the poor and government wants to eradicate poverty from India and is working in this direction,” Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar Wednesday said replying to a discussion on demand for grants for the ministries of agriculture and rural development for 2019-20.
Mr Tomar assured members that allocation under MNREGA (Mahatam Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme has decreased in this Budget. The minister said it should be compared with budgetary allocation of 2018-19.
He said the overall budgetary allocation for MGNREGA has increased from Rs 55,000 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 60,000 crore 2019-20. “We have improved MNREGA scheme to make it more people friendly... Now, under the scheme, 99 per cent of labourers are directly getting wages in their bank accounts. There is no middle man and broker”.
Mr Tomar suggested that big corporates can learn from women’s self help groups as they have only 2 per cent NPAs.
“Entire House knows about NPAs of big people (corporate) whereas women self help groups have only 2.7 per cent NPAs and are ensuring employment for poor women in rural areas”.
