Question : Expansion of List of Works under MGNREGS

(a) the details of permissible works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);

(b) whether the Government intends to include more items/expand the list of works enlisted as permissible items under MGNREGS in the country, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has received any proposal from the State of Kerala, requesting inclusion of ‘creation of trenches’ inside forest area, in the list of works under MGNREGS, if so, the action taken in this regard;

(d) whether the Government will consider permitting the construction of fire line in forest land as a permissible work under MGNREGS, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) whether the Government will consider construction of fish ponds in private land as a permissible work under MGNREGS, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a): The list of permissible works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is given at Annexure.

(b): Adding new works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a regular exercise and new works are added on the basis of merit in alignment with focus and objectives of the Scheme. Works namely “Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Structures in Government or Panchayat buildings”, “Unskilled wage component for construction of Community Sanitary Complexes in convergence with Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)” and “Providing all weather rural road connectivity to border areas” have been added recently.

(c) : No proposal has been received from the state of Kerala. However, construction of contour tenches, staggered trenches and water absorbtion trenches in rural areas are permissible activities under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

(d) : Creation of forest fire lines for protection of forests is not a permissible work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS.

(e): As per the provisions of the Act, construction of farm pond in individual land is a permissible work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS. The individual beneficiary can use the farm pond so created under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS for fish rearing/ aquaculture as per the convergence guidelines.

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