Govt proposes additional benefits under NREG scheme

Having already decided to extend its flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme to the entire country from April next year...

Having already decided to extend its flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme to the entire country from April next year, the UPA Government on Friday said that it would consider doubling the number of days the employment is assured under the scheme and also provide additional benefits like health insurance to workers.

“We will consider members’ suggestion for raising the number of days of guaranteed jobs from 100 to 200,” said Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh while responding to a short duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the misuse of funds under NREG during the past two years.

The minister also said the Government might consider providing health insurance to the workers under the scheme. Though he admitted facing some “teething troubles” while implementing the scheme in several parts of the country, he refuted the charge of Opposition parties that the scheme had failed to achieve its objectives. The minister also rubbished the charges of diversion of funds and asserted that there has been no “loot” of funds as alleged by some members.

But the minister added that the states still had to improve their monitoring and enrolment of the beneficiaries under the scheme. He also informed that resources were not a constraint.