Lukewarm response to rural job scheme in Punjab: Govt data

Ravi S Singh

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New Delhi, April 13

The demand driven Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) does not seems to be holding commensurate attraction among people of Punjab, at least during the last three consecutive years.

Either, the scheme offers false dilemma or seriously needs to be made attractive for Punjab, whose economy is largely vectored by agriculture and allied activities.

The opportunities of employment on offer via the scheme had not attracted the people of the state in 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21.

A data of the Rural Development Ministry states that in financial year 2020-21, the households offered employments under the scheme was 10.81 lakh, but 9.54 lakh of them availed it. In 2019-20, 9.19 lakh households were offered employment out of which only 7.53 lakh availed it. In 2018-19, 8.34 lakh household were offered employment, but 6.75 lakh availed it.

On the contrary, release of funds to the state for implementation of the scheme in these three years has increased progressively. More than Rs 598 crore was released in 2018-19, Rs 776 crore in 2029-20 and over Rs 1,287 crore in 2020-21.

Three-year trend

• In 2020-21, 10.81 lakh households offered employment, but 9.54 lakh availed opportunity
• In 2019-20, 9.19 lakh households offered employment out of which only 7.53 lakh availed it
• In 2018-19, 6.75 lakh households in the state availed opportunity out of 8.34 lakh