In a major boost to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, the government has decided to allow funds from MPLADS to flow into the scheme.
The guidelines of MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) have been amended to allow convergence of the scheme with NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).
The amendement reads thus: “Funds from Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme can be converged with MGNREGA with the objective of creating more durable assets.”
It further says that MPs may recommend under the MPLADS, works from out of the shelf of MGNREGA projects approved by the zilla panchayat for the year when the recommendation is being made. Only that it “should have been sanctioned by the district project coordinator which constitutes the approved annual work plan under MGNREGA of the district”.
The guidelines say the MPLADS funds shall, as far as possible, be used in respect of material component only. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation, a total of Rs 1862.23 crore of MPLADS funds have been unutilised since inception.