(a) whether some State Governments have introduced Employment Guarantee Scheme that ensures the right to work to adults in rural areas;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(c) whether the Union Government also propose to introduce Employment Guarantee Scheme ; and
(d) if so, the details in this regard ?
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI M. VENKAIAH NAIDU)
(a)&(b): The State Government of Maharashtra has been implementing the Rural Employment Scheme known as the ` Employment Guarantee Scheme` for the last 30 years. The objective of the Scheme is to provide employment to anyone in the rural areas who is desirous of manual work but is not getting the same otherwise. The State Government raises the resources for the Scheme through taxes.
(c) & (d): No Sir. The Central Government has launched the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana w.e.f. 25th September, 2001 to take care of food security, additional wage employment and development of village infrastructure in the rural areas. The annual budget provision for the Scheme will be Rs. 10,000 crores. Under the Scheme, 50 lakh tonnes of foodgrains amounting to Rs. 5,000 crores (at economic cost) will be provided every year, free of cost, to the State Governments and Union Territories Administrations. The remaining funds (Rs. 5,000 crores) will be utilized to meet the cash component of wages and material cost. The payment of foodgrains will be made by the Ministry of Rural Development to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) directly. About 100 crore mandays of employment are envisaged to be generated every year in the rural areas through the SGRY.