The new union rural development minister Vilasrao Deshmukh takes charge of the key ministry at a time when the mega Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005 completes mandated five years of implementation within next few weeks.
Deshmukh would lead the rural development ministry which gets the largest annual financial allocation to the tune of more than Rs 50,000 crore under the social sector allocation for implementation of the UPA government?s flagship programmes including MGNREGA, Indira Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) and Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme.
Besides getting a parliamentary approval for extention of MGNREGA in next month, the key task for the next minister is to ensure that MGNREGA is implemented efficiently particularly in the states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand where there have been large scale reports of irregularities in implementation of MGNREGA.
Deshmukh would also need to have a closer look at irregularities in wage payment of the workers so that problems of lesser wages is addressed to.
Despite the passage of close to five years since the mega job guarantee scheme was introduced, the government is yet to bring out a comprehensive impact assement of the programme on the rural economy. Deshmukh needs to put a comprehensive impact assessement report in the public domain for ensuring transparency and accountability in implementation.
Another challenge for the Deshmukh would be to speed up implementation of skill enhancement programme SGSY, which would definitely boost employment prospects of rural workers.
Expanding rural roads through PMSY particularly in the bordering areas in states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and North-eastern states would be another critical area for Deshmukh.