Rural job scheme logjam may be broken soon

The deadlock over the number of districts to be covered in the next phase of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) may be resolved soon.

The rural development ministry, which wanted 200 districts under the scheme's next phase is now ready for talks with the Planning Commission, which wanted to fix the number at 50.

"Even now I want 200 more districts under the scheme. But at the same time, I am ready for discussions to carry the programme into the next phase," Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told Business Standard.

The minister was replying to reports that the prime minister might step in to break the deadlock among the rural ministry on the one side and the Planning Commission and finance ministry on the other.

After Singh's recent strong comments against the Planning Commission, the prime minister's role in the scheme's implementation has become crucial.

"I am ready for meaningful discussions. Let's see how it can be done," Singh said, but refused comment on the number he would settle for.

However, there are indications that the rural development ministry may be ready to accept the inclusion of 100 more districts.

The scheme, launched in February last year, is aimed at covering all rural districts within five years.