(a) whether some Hilly States including Himachal Pradesh have requested for
introducing some additional activities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) including the protection of crops
from wild animals and protection of forests from fire;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the time by which the said provisions will be introduced in the scheme?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)
(a) to (c): The primary objective of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)is to enhance the livelihood security of the rural
households by providing up to 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a
year to every household on demand for doing unskilled manual work. Creation
of durable assets and strengthening the livelihood resource base of the
rural poor is also an important objective of the Act. Schedule-I of the
Act lists the category of works in the order of their priority which shall
be included in the Schemes to be formulated by the State Governments under
Section 4(1) of the Act. Proposals for additional activities like guarding
and protection of crops and forests under MGNREGA have been received from
some States.
Protection of crops from wild animals or protection of forests from fire, do not
lead to creation of durable assets and are therefore neither permissible activities nor
related with implementation of the Act. Hence such activities cannot be covered under
MGNREGA.