MGNREGA wages to be in accordance with agri wage rates: Min

Wages under MGNREGA will be fixed in accordance with the prevailing agricultural wage rates in the states including Uttarakhand, Union Minister Chaudhry Birender Singh said here today.
A recommendation to this effect has been made by a committee appointed by the Centre, in the wake of demands from states across the country for a revision in wage rates under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Singh said while reviewing the status of Sansad Adarsh Gram yojana in the hill state.
The Union Rural Development Minister said a proposal of Rs 2,000 crore will be submitted to the Finance Ministry for tailoring wage rates under the central scheme in congruence with the prevailing agricultural wage rates in the states.

The wage rate under MGNREGA in Uttarakhand at present is Rs 161, whereas the agricultural wage rate in the state is at Rs 204.
Meanwhile, expressing satisfaction on the implementation of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana here, Singh said he has so far reviewed the progress of the scheme in 18 states and the convergence level of projects under the scheme in Uttarakhand is better in comparison to other states.
He also suggested that in states like Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh which suffer from shortage of big industries, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds should be used for implementation of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

A CSR conclave to be attended by 400 big industrialists is being convened in Mumbai in the third week of February, where an attempt will be made to inspire industries based in states suffering from shortage of industries to use the CSR funds available with them for implementation of Adarsh Gram Yojana, he added.

On rural development, the Union minister said, so far 700 MPs have selected villages, which they want to develop as model villages with the focus primarily on four parameters including availability of electricity, drinking water supply to each household through pipelines, road connectivity and development of primary and secondary schools for providing better educational facilities to children.

A kitchen and a dining hall can be built in the schools for the mid-day meal scheme through MGNREGA, said Singh, who also holds the portfolio of Union Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation ministry.
Drawing the Union minister's attention to several state specific issues, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said a self-sustainability model needs to be developed for villages.
He said the state government spent Rs 456 crore under PMGSY in the year 2014-15,out of which Rs 312 crore only were given by the Centre and requested him to provide the rest of the money.