The government has decided to converge its flagship NREGA with other schemes relating to agriculture, water resources, land resources etc. It is expected to give boost to food productions. In the first stage, a total of 115 pilot districts have been identified by the government for such convergence efforts. “Details of these measures and convergence guidelines will be formulated by the Ministry of Rural Development”, FM Pranab Mukherjee said. The convergence approach is significant as it has been felt in the rural development ministry that through convergence of both human and financial resources of various social sector schemes could be pulled together. NREGA, which has provided employment opportunities to more than 4.47 crore households last fiscal, Mukherjee announced an allocation of Rs.39,100 crore for current fiscal which marks an increase of 144% over 2008-09 budget estimates. NREGA was launched in 2006.