(a) whether there is any targeted plan to address the influx of migrant workers in rural areas;
(b) whether there are any steps being taken by the Government to increase employment creation in the rural areas to stop migration; and
(c) the details of budget disbursed for the same so far?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) to (c): Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme, which provides for at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. During previous financial year 2020-21, 11.19 crore persons were provided employment and more than 389.23 crore person-days were generated. In current financial year 2021-22 (as on 06.08.2021), 7.01 crore persons have been provided employment and more than 146.71 crore person-days have been generated under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. During the financial year 2020-21, an amount Rs. 1, 11, 170.86 crore has been released and an amount of Rs. 46,705.24 crore has been released in current financial year 2021-22 (as on 06.08.2021) for the implementation of programme.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) aims to provide financial assistance to eligible rural households for construction of 2.95 Crore Pucca houses with basic amenities to achieve the objective of “Housing for All”. Efforts taken under PMAY-G during COVID are as under:
a. Focus on completion of those PMAY-G houses where the beneficiaries have received 2nd and 3rdinstallment.
b. Utilise the lockdown period to upload on a campaign mode details of physically completed houses on AwaasSoft.
c. Maximum sanctions to beneficiaries be issued against the 2020-21 targets.
d. States/UTs advised to take up Rural Mason Training in a long way and that training can be conducted under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mode. As on 26th July 2021, 1,24,382 rural masons have been trained and certified under this program. As reported by the States/UTs on Awaassoft a total of 2,00,35,679 houses have been sanctioned & 1,52,37,962 houses have been completed. Since inception of PMAY-G a total of 13,30,198 IAY Houses have been reported completed and an expenditure of Rs. 2,461.71 crore is made under IAY during PMAY-G period. In the current FY 2021-22, 14,19,031 PMAY-G houses and 45,813 IAY houses have been completed.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched in the year 2000 as a measure towards alleviation of poverty in rural areas to provide connectivity, by way of an all-weather road with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures, which is operable throughout the year, to eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas. In the year 2019, Government launched PMGSY-III for consolidation of 1,25,000 Km Through Routes and Major Rural Links connecting habitations, inter-alia, to Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools and Hospitals. Since inception till 6th August 2021, a total of 7,67,770 km road length has been sanctioned, out of which 6,71,355 km road length has been completed. Moreover, over 99% habitations have been provided connectivity under the scheme.
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission, (SPMRM) is a unique programme, designed to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth. 300 Rurban Clusters with thematic economic growth points, are being developed across the country under this Mission. The Ministry had issued an advisory to the States/UTs regarding modification in existing projects/works proposed in DPR of cluster due to Covid-19 pandemic and to include more economic activities in order to reboot the rural economy. Cluster wise consultations have been convened with PRI members, SHG representatives as well as State and district functionaries to identify issues and suggestions with respect to further improving the on-ground implementation of the Mission.
There are two skill development programmes for rural youth namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) for increasing employability of rural youth either through wage or self-employment. After unlock orders and opening of training centres, under DDU-GKY a total of 33,716 candidates have been trained and 49,528 candidates have been placed in jobs during the financial year 2020-21. Under RSETI, a total of 2,55,141 candidates have been trained and 1,85,235 candidates have been settled during the Financial Year 2020-21.
Further, under DDU-GKY, during current financial year (upto June, 2021), 2,691 candidates have been trained and 11,015 candidates have been placed. Under RSETI, during current Financial year (upto June, 2021), 13,319 candidates have been trained and 19,751 candidates have been settled.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA): In order to boost employment opportunity in the wake of COVID lockdown, Government of India had launched a campaign known as Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) of 125 days on 20th June, 2020 to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers and similarly affected citizens in rural areas, in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the Abhiyaan were to provide immediate employment & livelihood opportunities to the distressed, to saturate the villages with public infrastructure and creation of livelihood assets to boost the income generation activities and enhance long term livelihood opportunities by giving focus on 25 works (including works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) in 116 selected districts across 6 States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. A total of 12 Ministries/Departments of Government of India has participated in the Abhiyaan. A total of 50.78 crore person-days employment has been generated during the Abhiyaan with a total expenditure of Rs. 39,293 crore.
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