The rural development ministry Tuesday ordered district administrations to ensure that water conservation work like construction of check dams and de-silting of traditional water bodies are taken up under the rural job act to mitigate drought-like situation.
The order was given by Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari in a bid to mitigate drought and drought-like situation and scarcity, an official release said.
The minister ordered that 50 percent of all jobs taken up at district levels under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) should be for water conservation like check dam construction, de-silting of traditional water bodies, minor irrigation tanks and canals.
The decision was taken in response to widespread criticism by parliamentarians and people's representatives at the local level that MNREGA has become a source of corruption and that no productive assets are being created through the rural job scheme, the release said.
Gadkari also directed his ministry to ensure that all payments and fund transfers to states be made on e-payment platform and on a just in time basis so that wage payment is not delayed beyond one week in any case.
