MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)
(a): Yes, Madam. Independent research studies conducted on the impact of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have been brought out as “MGNREGA Sameeksha” by the Ministry. The studies indicate that this programme has improved water and soil conservation measures, increased cultivable land by enriching waste lands and has led to improved agricultural productivity. It has also enhanced bargaining powers of rural wage seekers and reduced distress migration from rural areas. Major suggestions/recommendations of these studies, inter alia, are removal of delays in wage payments, improvement in the quality of assets, establishment of strong demand management system, effective participatory grass-root and planning, and improvement in the overall monitoring of schemes, etc.
(b): State-UT-wise details of works completed under MGNREGSA during the last two years and the current year is indicated in Annexure-I.
(c)&(d): Agriculture related works are already permitted under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Sub Para (2) of Paragraph 4 of Schedule 1, MGNREGA, lays down that, “District Programme Coordinator shall ensure that at least 60% of the works to be taken up in a district in terms of cost, shall be for creation of productive assets directly linked to agriculture and allied activities through development of land, water and trees”. The list of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA works directly linked to Agriculture and allied activities as per the Schedule-I of the Act are given in the Annexure-II.
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Annexure-II referred in reply to parts (c)&(d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1497 dated 24.11.2016.
I. Category: A: PUBLIC WORKS RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT:
(i) Water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve groundwater like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams with special focus on recharging ground water including drinking water sources.
(ii) Watershed management works such as contour trenches, terracing, contour bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resulting in a comprehensive treatment of a watershed.
(iii) Micro and minor irrigation works and creation, renovation and maintenance of irrigation canals and drains.
(iv) Renovation of traditional water bodies including desilting of irrigation tanks and other water bodies.
(v) Afforestation, tree plantation and horticulture in common and forest lands, road margins, canal bunds, tank foreshores and coastal belts duly providing right to usufruct to the households and
(vi) Land development works in common land.
II. Category B: COMMUNITY ASSETS OR INDIVIDUAL ASSETS FOR VULNERABLE SECTIONS (ONLY FOR HOUSEHOLDS IN PARAGRAPH 5):
(i) Improving productivity of lands of households specified in Paragraph5 through land development and by providing suitable infrastructure for irrigation including dug wells, farm ponds and other water harvesting structures.
(ii) Improving livelihoods through horticulture, sericulture, plantation, and farm forestry.
(iii) Development of fallow or waste lands of households defined in Paragraph5 to bring it under cultivation.
(iv) Unskilled wage component in construction of houses sanctioned under the Indira AwaasYojana or such other State or Central Government Scheme.
(v) Creating infrastructure for promotion of livestock such as, poultry shelter, goat shelter, piggery shelter, cattle shelter and fodder troughs for cattle; and
(vi) Creating infrastructure for promotion of fisheries such as, fish drying yards, storage facilities, and promotion of fisheries in seasonal water bodies on public land;
III. Category C: COMMON INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING FOR NRLM COMPLIANT SELF HELP GROUPS:
(i) Works for promoting agricultural productivity by creating durable infrastructure required for bio-fertilizers and post-harvest facilities including pucca storage facilities for agricultural produce; and
(ii) Common work-sheds for livelihood activities of self-help groups.
IV. Category D: RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE:
(i) Rural sanitation related works, such as, individual household latrines, school toilet units, Anganwadi toilets either independently or in convergence with schemes of other Government Departments to achieve ‘open defecation free’ status. and solid and liquid waste management as per prescribed norms.
(ii) Providing all-weather rural road connectivity to unconnected villages and to connect identified rural production centres to the existing pucca road network; and construction of pucca internal roads or streets including side drains and culverts within a village.
(iii) Construction of play fields.
(iv) Works for improving disaster preparedness or restoration of roads or restoration of other essential public infrastructure including flood control and protection works, providing drainage in water logged areas, deepening and repairing of flood channels, chaur renovation, construction of storm water drains for coastal protection.
(v) Construction of buildings for Gram Panchayats, women self-help groups’ federations, cyclone shelters, Anganwadi centres, village haats and crematoria at the village or block level.
(vi) Construction of Food Grain Storage Structures for implementing the provisions of The National Food Security Act 2013 (20 of 2013).
(vii) Production of building material required for construction works under the Act as a part of the estimate of such construction works.
(viii) Maintenance of rural public assets created under the Act; and any other work which may be notified by the Central Government in consultation with the State Government in this regard.
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