The government may expand the scope of work offered under NREGS by introducing skilled jobs like spinning and weaving under the programme, as part of its 100-day agenda.
The textiles ministry has prepared a project to train rural people in textiles processes including spinning and weaving. It wants people trained under this initiative should be given employment under the NREGS.
?We have identified activities like spinning and weaving to train 50 lakh people in rural areas of the country in the rest of 11th Plan period (2007-2012). We want to dovetail with the ministry of rural development for the project so that these people could get employment under NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005),? textiles secretary Rita Menon told FE.
The textiles ministry has proposed this project for the first 100 days in the second innings of the UPA government. The NREGA promises 100-days of unskilled manual work like digging canals and water bodies, planting trees, performing drainage work, and building roads etc.
The ministry has apprised cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar and labour secretary Sudha Pillai on the project. ?We have discussed the project with cabinet secretary and labour secretary and we hope it could get started within the first 100 days of the government,? Menon said.
Textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran has already announced that the government would invest Rs 1,55,000 crore to create one crore jobs in the textiles sector in the next five years. ?As a result of specific and targeted initiatives the new government will successfully tackle the issues of employment generation and maximise the welfare of stakeholders in the textiles industry,? he said after assuming office on June 1.
If implemented, the NREGS-linked project would raise the average number of workdays for the rural populace and the their wages. Under the present scheme, the average duration of employment per household is only 47 days. Even in Rajasthan, where the average number of days is the highest, the government could not meet the target of providing 100 days of work.
In its last term at the Centre, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance had engaged all forces in publicising the NREGS, which covers 4.5 crore households. The Congress? return to the helm is widely perceived a result of this scheme.
In its election manifesto, Congress had emphasised that it would focus on skill development of youth by establishing a National Skills Development Mission with an investment of Rs 30,000 crore.