MGNREGA wage rate to be increased: Sagar

Excelsior Correspondent

Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar at an officers meeting on MGNREGA at Jammu on Wednesday.
Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar at an officers meeting on MGNREGA at Jammu on Wednesday.

JAMMU, Apr 25: The wage rate under MGNREGA would be increased from the existing Rs. 131 to Rs 150 to speed up its implementation at the ground level.
The information was given in the 4th State Employment Grantee Council meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law Justice and Parliament Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar.
Mr. Sagar while impressing upon the officers to ensure that the implementation of the scheme said due care should be maintained while formulating the list of beneficiaries of the scheme and in this regard proper and systematic verifications should be conducted so that the benefit of this flagship scheme reach the genuine persons”.
Expressing satisfaction that the scheme has registered tremendous strides, the Minister maintained that the comprehensive plan for convergence of the scheme with schemes of other departments would be preponed, so that the scope of this flagship programme which has been instrumental in changing the rural landscape can be broadened.
While referring to the engagement of supporting staff under MGNREGA, the Minister said that a comprehensive and foolproof mechanism should be evolved so that meritorious and deserving candidates can be appointed which would go a long way in speeding up the implementation of the scheme.
It was also given out in the meeting that an amount of Rs. 2191 crore has been earmarked as labour budget under MGNREGA for the current fiscal.
Minister of State for Rural Development, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Commissioner Secretary RDD, Farooq Ahmed Peer, Directors Jammu/Srinagar RDD, and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.