1 Dec : The Ministry of Rural Development is organising a Round Table Meet on the Role of Media in strengthening National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) here tomorrow at NASC Complex, PUSA . The one day meet to be inaugurated by the Minister of Rural Development, Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh will discuss most appropriate means of disseminating information to create mass awareness on the progress of implementation of NREGA in the country. A large number of Media persons are expected to deliberate and suggest useful tips on the issue.As of now the Act extends to the entire country and currently provides employment to about 3 crore households reaching out to the marginalized group as SCs/STs who constitute 57% the NREGA workforce to woman who are 49% of the workforce. 17.29 lakh works have been undertaken during the current year, of which 46% relates to water conservation. NREGA has proved to be a major vehicle for financial inclusion of the marginalized sections of the rural community. Thus for 4.22 crore NREGA workers, Bank and Post Office Accounts have been opened to disbursed wages. Information Technology is being used to manage one of the largest data base of rural households engaged under the Act.
An amount of over Rs.20,000 crores have been paid as wages to the rural households till date since the inception of the programme. To payment to the right beneficiary and the right amount, wages are to be disbursed through banks/post offices in the Savings Accounts of the workers. Thus, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Puduchhery have achieved 100% payment of wages through bank and post offices accounts. Other states are also making efforts to ensure this system. With this transparent arrangement for disbursement of wages a new milestone has been achieved in the history of development administration of the country.