(a) whether the number of villages in the country has been declining since
independence;
(b) if so, the up-to-date details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) the names of employment schemes alongwith the number of villages where such
schemes are being implemented;
(d) the defect found in existing employment schemes; and
(e) the schemes being formulated for future years after removing such defects for
rural employment?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU)
(a) & (b) According to the Census Data of the Registrar General of India, number of
villages including uninhabited were 634321 in 1991and 638,635 in 2001 i.e. increase of
4314 villages.
(c) to (e) For employment generation, the Ministry of Rural Development is
implementing through the State Governments/UTs major employment schemes, namely,
Swaranjyanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY), Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(SGRY) and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The self-
employment scheme of SGSY is under implementation in all the villages of the country
except the Union Territories of Chandigarh and Delhi. The NREGA is being
implemented in all villages of 200 districts selected for implementation of this scheme
with effect from 2nd Feb., 2006. The SGRY is implemented in all other remaining
villages of remaining districts except in UTs of Delhi and Chandigarh. The defects
observed in SGRY, have been removed while launching of NREGA. The NREGA is to
be extended to all villages/districts in next few years.