NREGS should be linked with PMGSY

Anantapur: There is great need for the Central government to revamp Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which is facing challenges, to promote rural jobs scheme, observed Civil Watch president Dr M Suresh Babu.

In in a press statement on Friday, he further opined that funding also should be increased to address these issues. He felt that the Centre should set to mandate that all States ensure certain minimum standards for construction of roads under MGNREGA. Properly constructed all-weather roads will ensure all-year round access to markets for the rural population, which will help improve the economic outcomes of an area. Road construction has been one of the activities in smaller villages under the scheme, but road quality is the problem. A technical committee set up by the Ministry has come up with standard specifications for roads built under the scheme.

The idea is to build structures, which can be upgraded later as per Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) while serving better purpose in the interim. The government should link NREGS and PMGSY, which should look drainage alongside roads, stabilising the land and other works.

An inter-ministerial convergence had been made with the Ministry of Railway and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA for the execution of the works. These works include construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossing and railway station, developing and clearing silted waterways, trenches and drains along track and others.

NREG scheme, which was aimed at addressing rural poverty, unemployment and distress migration, couldn’t serve the purpose due to cutbacks and State governments facing funds crunch.