JOIN USGovt acts to conserve water
The decision was taken at the meeting of officers of Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj held in Bangalore on Monday. RDPR Minister Shobha Karandlaje, speaking to media after the meeting, said that percolation tanks would be built under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The minister said that NREG Act gave preference for water conservation activities under the scheme.
Percolation tanks would be constructed for all all 2.06 lakh borewells owned by the government. As much as 20 per cent of them are not in working condition.
“Even if farmers come forward to construct percolation tanks for their borewells sunk in their private land they can take up the work under the NREGS”, the minister said.
Naxal-affected
The government has decided to include all families in 23 Naxal affected taluks under the NREGS. Karandlaje said that she had directed to all officers in those taluks to issue job cards to all families in the area.
The minister said there were about 1.66 lakh families in the 23 taluks spread over 11 districts. Most of the people belong to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes. Nearly 50 pc of the total families had already been brought under NREGS net. The rest would be covered in one week. They would be allowed to take up works in their land under NREGS.
The minister said in the meeting the officers had been directed to provide 100-day’s work for all the beneficiaries in the Naxal affected areas in next three-four months. Each beneficiary would get Rs 8,200 per year at the rate of Rs 82 per day.
Junior Engineers:
The Department of RDPR has decided to appoint junior engineers on a contract basis to measure works done under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The department issued a government order in this regard on Monday.
The minister said that the job of measuring the work done would be outsourced to service providing agencies at the district level.
There would be around 1,400 junior engineers at the rate of one for four-five gram panchayats. On an average each junior engineer would get around Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 per month.