Latest news with #MNREGS
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
MP first to use hi-tech system to flag ideal spots for ponds & wells
Bhopal: Setting an example of how technology can change lives, Madhya Pradesh has become the only state to use AI, real-time data analytics and integrated satellite and mapping tools to select locations to construct waterbodies under Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan — a drive under MNREGS to build waterbodies for groundwater recharge. With these scientific technological interventions, the chances of waterbodies remaining dry become negligible, said officials, adding that it will not only improve groundwater levels but also bring prosperity to rural areas. The MP initiative has been appreciated by Union govt and several states have approached MP to understand the working of these systems, they added. MP is also the first state to integrate MNREGS works with these advanced scientific tools. Ponds and wells often remained dry as they were not dug in ideal spots, lacked correct slopes, or natural water recharges, pointed out officials. Now, these approvals are linked to the Software For Identification and Planning Of Rural Infrastructure (SIPRI) — which has all topographical data, mapped to the level of khasra numbers in each village. It is only after the spot selected for the waterbody is vetted by SIPRI that work goes ahead. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Преносим лазерен заваръчен пистолет, 50% отстъпка в нов магазин HEO Купете сега Undo All this is integrated into the system to ensure seamless and timely evaluation, with just a few clicks. Explaining the system, an official said that once a site for a pond or well is proposed, the khasra number is entered into the system and SIPRI determines if it will be feasible. Parameters like slope, natural water recharges, and other topographical features are shown by the software. It is only after all the parameters check out that the approval process can be further extended. SIPRI uses hundreds of sources, including revenue records, GPS, satellite images, drone surveys, a large number of govt organisations, and even private satellite imagery and data providers, to ensure real-time data. The software even analyses scientific features like lineament — a linear feature on the earth's surface, such as a fault — which are normally not identifiable, and their presence leads to ponds drying up. So far, under Jal Ganga Samvardhan, more than 81,000 farm ponds, 1,200 Amrit Sarovar ponds, and more than 1 lakh wells have been approved. All these have been approved after checking each and every topographical feature in the least possible time. "It's a question of millions and millions of litres of water, and it's related to the lives of crores of rural people. Normally, farmers who do not have access to irrigation water opt for ponds or lakes. If these lakes are functional, it will bring about changes not only in the groundwater levels but also in farm output. Thus, it will have multiple benefits, environmentally as well as in uplifting the living conditions of the people," MNREGS commissioner Avi Prasad told TOI. "We worked for several months on these technological interventions, and it has been developed inhouse. Data from numerous sources is being pulled for this purpose. It took several months to develop the system. Every waterbody approved under Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan has been approved after due diligence to ensure it is as per the appropriate topography. This not only increases efficiency, but technical intervention has also reduced the time of approvals from a few days to a few minutes. Ideally, a proposal for a water body can now get technical sanction in just 15 minutes," Prasad added.
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Calcutta HC directs Centre to resume MNREGS in West Bengal after three-year halt
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the Union government to resume implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, or MNREGS, in West Bengal from August 1, Live Law reported. The Union Rural Development Ministry suspended MGNREGS funding to West Bengal in March 2022, citing widespread irregularities and alleged violations of the scheme's implementation rules by the state government. West Bengal received Rs 7,507.8 crore in the financial year 2021-'22 under MGNREGS but has received no funds in the following three financial years, the Hindustan Times reported. On Wednesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) was hearing a case on the non-payment of MGNREGS dues to daily wage labourers after the Union government's allegations. The bench said that the Union and state governments may impose special conditions to prevent irregularities that marred the scheme's implementation, but it must be restarted prospectively. The court said that it was not in dispute that certain irregularities have been pointed out by the Centre in the disbursement of wages under the MGNREGS, according to PTI. While the Centre retains authority to investigate alleged misappropriations, this does not justify an indefinite suspension of the program, added the bench. 'All these allegations are from before 2022, you do whatever you want, but implement the scheme,' it further said. MNREGS was introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and is aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas. The scheme guarantees 100 days of unskilled work annually for every rural household that wants it, covering all districts in the country.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Record 57% MNREGS funds spent on agri activities in UP
Lucknow: The utilisation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) funds on agriculture and allied activities reached an all-time high of more than 57% in Uttar Pradesh, in what is seen as yet another indicator of the Yogi Adityanath govt's ever-sharpening focus on the farming sector to boost the state economy. The UP govt spent 57.41% of the total over Rs 4,400 crore released by the Centre to UP under the flagship scheme on agriculture and allied activities in the first quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal, according to the latest data from the rural development department. This was 13 percentage points more than in 2024-25 when 44.36% of the total MNREGS funds were spent on agriculture and allied activities in the state. Even during the pandemic, when economic activities came to a grinding halt and scores of people migrated back to their villages, only 33.76% of the MNREGS funds were spent on agriculture. MNREGS is a demand-driven scheme, meaning funds are released to states based on the agreed-upon labour budget. Officials in the rural development department said that the activities primarily carried out under MNREGS included land development, construction of irrigation canals, water harvesting structures, construction of farm ponds, plantation activities, and fencing. Analysts said that an increased focus on agriculture under MNREGS essentially meant improved farm productivity, employment generation in rural areas, and the creation of durable assets for the farmers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트, 지금 시작하세요 [자세히 보기] 임플란트 더 알아보기 Undo Experts said that the higher allocation for agriculture under MNREGS showed clear prioritisation of rural development through agriculture-focused assets, which potentially aligns well with the needs of a predominantly agrarian state like UP. Unlike temporary wage work, agriculture-related MNREGS projects will help create long-term infrastructure (like irrigation systems, ponds, bunds, etc.) that directly benefit farming productivity. Spending on agriculture, analysts said, also leads to multiplier benefits—improved irrigation, better yields, and more income for farmers, which in turn stimulates local rural economies. Activities like the construction of ponds may primarily help small and marginal farmers in storing water during dry months.
Economic Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
How to kill MNREGA in three easy steps? Just follow these govt's 'tricks', says Jairam Ramesh
'Three easy steps to kill MNREGA' Live Events "What needs to be done instead" Raise daily wages to ₹400 to account for inflation and ensure basic livelihood security. Scrap the mandatory Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), which he said creates unnecessary delays and exclusions. Ensure timely wage payments within the statutory 15-day limit, and compensate workers in case of delays. The govt's new rulebook (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre, reacting to a report by The Indian Express that revealed a significant policy shift in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS).The report stated that, for the first time, the central government has capped expenditure under MNREGA at 60% of its total annual budget for the first half of the financial year 2025– described the development as part of a deliberate "three-step formula" to systematically dismantle the rural employment scheme, which has served as a lifeline for millions of vulnerable households across to the Indian Express report , Ramesh outlined what he termed a calculated plan by the government to phase out the demand-driven scheme:Step 1: Starve MNREGA of funds over the years, resulting in stagnant wages and a growing backlog of pending payments, which now stands at a staggering ₹21,000 crore at the beginning of FY 2025– 2: Impose the Finance Ministry's Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP) on MNREGA, restricting ministries to spend only 60% of the total annual allocation in the first six months—thus undermining the flexible, demand-based nature of the 3: With no funds left after clearing backlogs, bring work allocation under the scheme to a near halt, denying rural households their legal right to warned that the first two steps have already been executed, and the third is "now going to come out soon," which he said would mark the effective end of the scheme in response, the Congress leader laid out a list of corrective measures to safeguard and strengthen MNREGA:"Instead of fixing what's broken, the government seems to be dismantling the only safety net millions depend on," Ramesh said, accusing the Modi government of prioritizing fiscal optics over rural to the report, the Ministry of Finance has, for the first time, included MNREGA under its MEP/QEP framework — a cash flow management tool introduced in Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), which had previously resisted such constraints citing the scheme's demand-driven nature, reportedly submitted its quarterly expenditure plan as directed, only to be denied permission to exceed the 60% threshold in the first half of FY 2025– move, experts say, will likely slow down work allocations and further delay wage payments, especially during peak agricultural lean seasons when demand for rural jobs typically surges.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How to kill MNREGA in three easy steps? Just follow these govt's 'tricks', says Jairam Ramesh
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre, reacting to a report by The Indian Express that revealed a significant policy shift in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS). The report stated that, for the first time, the central government has capped expenditure under MNREGA at 60% of its total annual budget for the first half of the financial year 2025–26. Ramesh described the development as part of a deliberate "three-step formula" to systematically dismantle the rural employment scheme, which has served as a lifeline for millions of vulnerable households across India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unfriendliest Countries in the World, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo 'Three easy steps to kill MNREGA' Referring to the Indian Express report , Ramesh outlined what he termed a calculated plan by the government to phase out the demand-driven scheme: Step 1: Starve MNREGA of funds over the years, resulting in stagnant wages and a growing backlog of pending payments, which now stands at a staggering ₹21,000 crore at the beginning of FY 2025–26. Live Events Step 2: Impose the Finance Ministry's Monthly/Quarterly Expenditure Plan (MEP/QEP) on MNREGA, restricting ministries to spend only 60% of the total annual allocation in the first six months—thus undermining the flexible, demand-based nature of the programme. Step 3: With no funds left after clearing backlogs, bring work allocation under the scheme to a near halt, denying rural households their legal right to employment. Ramesh warned that the first two steps have already been executed, and the third is "now going to come out soon," which he said would mark the effective end of the scheme in practice. "What needs to be done instead" In response, the Congress leader laid out a list of corrective measures to safeguard and strengthen MNREGA: Raise daily wages to ₹400 to account for inflation and ensure basic livelihood security. Scrap the mandatory Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS), which he said creates unnecessary delays and exclusions. Ensure timely wage payments within the statutory 15-day limit, and compensate workers in case of delays. "Instead of fixing what's broken, the government seems to be dismantling the only safety net millions depend on," Ramesh said, accusing the Modi government of prioritizing fiscal optics over rural welfare. The govt's new rulebook According to the report, the Ministry of Finance has, for the first time, included MNREGA under its MEP/QEP framework — a cash flow management tool introduced in 2017. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), which had previously resisted such constraints citing the scheme's demand-driven nature, reportedly submitted its quarterly expenditure plan as directed, only to be denied permission to exceed the 60% threshold in the first half of FY 2025–26. This move, experts say, will likely slow down work allocations and further delay wage payments, especially during peak agricultural lean seasons when demand for rural jobs typically surges.
