Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur has urged the Government of India to call a meeting of Rural Development Ministers of all the States to discuss the issues pertaining to implementation of various rural development schemes. He said that this will help in understanding the practical challenges and difficulties being faced by various States in implementing the Schemes and also finding out their solutions.
He was speaking in a function organised on completion of 6 years of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in New Delhi today.
Raising various issues relating to the State, Thakur urged the Central Government to lift ban on construction of mettled roads under MNREGA in rural areas so that more than 80 percent population which was residing in rural areas could be benefitted with better road facility. He also demanded to enhance administrative fee limit from 6 percent to upto 10 percent and permission to construct play grounds in rural areas under MNREGA.
Jai Ram Thakur urged the Central Government to give permission for undertaking crop protection activities under MNREGA as wild animals were damaging the crops at a large scale in the State. He said that State Assembly had already sent unanimous resolution to the Government of India in this regard. He also suggested to start award scheme for the PRI representatives and officers under MNREGA on the analogy of Government of India to motivate them to work with more vigour and zeal.
Union Minister, Ministry of Rural Development Jai Ram Ramesh said that a meeting of Rural Development Ministers of all the States would be called soon. PRI representatives of various districts of the State were also present in the function.
