MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)
(a) & (b): The Government has included small and marginal farmers under Mahatma Gandhi
NREGA by an amendment made in para 1
(iv) of the list of permissible activities provided in
Schedule-I of the Act. The amendment made is as under:
`Provision of irrigation facility, horticulture plantation and land development
facilities to land owned by households belonging to the Schedule Castes and Schedule
Tribes or below poverty line families or to beneficiaries of land reforms or to the
beneficiaries under the Indira Awaas Yojana of Government of India or that of the small
farmers or marginal farmers as defined in the Agriculture Debt Waiver and Debit Relief
Scheme, 2008.`
Construction of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra as Village Knowledge
Resource Centre and Gram Panchayat Bhawan at Gram Panchayat level has also been
included as a permissible activity in para 1 of Schedule I of the Act vide Notification
dated 11-11-2009.
(c) & (d): Yes, Sir. States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh have requested the Union Government for increasing the number of work days
beyond 100 days. Proposals received from these States have been examined in the
Ministry and have not been acceded to. As per reports received, national average for
number of days of employment availed per household was 43 days for 2006-07; 42 days
for 2007-08; 48 days for 2008-09 and 54 days for 2009-10. Further, as per Section 3(4)
of the Act, the State Government may, within the limits of its economic capacity and
development, make provisions for securing work to every adult member of a household
under a scheme for any period beyond the period guaranteed under the Act. However,
the Central liability of financial assistance would be limited to only 100 days of
guaranteed employment per household.
(e) & (f): Yes, Sir. Para 05-05-10 of Operational Guidelines of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
provides that if a disabled person applies for work, work suitable to his/her ability and
qualifications will have to be given. This may also be in the form of services that are
identified as integral to the programme. Provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and full Participation) Act, 1995 will be kept in view
and implemented.
