The rural development ministry is looking at a proposal to remove rural connectivity from the list of nine recommended types of work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). Rural connectivity or road construction occupies the bottom position on the list of recommended works under the NREGA.
Out of a total 12.3 lakh number of direct projects under the NREGA across 330 districts, more than 2 lakh were related to rural connectivity alone during the April to December period of the current fiscal.
?We have been discussing ways and means of discouraging rural connectivity projects to be taken up under the NREGA, which primarily focuses on water conservation,? said minister for state for rural development Chandra Sekhar Sahu. Projects on water conservation, flood control and micro irrigation will be taken up on priority basis. However, the ministry pointed out that workers engaged in road construction would be shifted towards other activities.
The rural development ministry is also considering a proposal to provide labour force from the NREGA kitty towards Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMSY) which deals with rural connectivity alone. Rural development ministry officials admit that there have been irregularities in road construction activities taken up under the NREGA. Under the scheme, only 40% of the funds can be spent on raw materials and machinery while the rest goes towards wages. ?Due to these constraints in spendings, most roads under the scheme are not concrete which has given rise to issues related to durability,? a rural development ministry official pointed out.
The NREG scheme has been running for two years. It was launched in February 2, 2006.