<p>The MoRD has rejected a suggestion from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation for making changes in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MNREGS) to avoid scarcity of farmhands. The Planning Commission however last week came out with suggestions for major reforms in the MNREGS by bringing under its coverage agricultural activities like sowing, harvesting, soil preparation, irrigation, compost preparation and allied activities relating to livestock.<br /><br />Planning Commission member Mihir Shah said that the new guidelines would make clear provisions for undertaking MNREGS work in private lands of small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />The Union Government is also not keen to consider the demands from some states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to raise the number of days of guaranteed employment from existing 100 to 150 or 200. For, it believes that such a move could have an adverse impact on agricultural productivity. “MNREGA intends to provide the social security mechanism for the days, which is beyond the period of engagement in agriculture. Any increase in the number of such days of guaranteed employment will create a competitive disadvantage towards agricultural productivity,”the MoRD told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development.<br /><br />Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain last week told Rajya Sabha that the Ministry of Agriculture had recently suggested that possibility of amending the guidelines of the MNREGS might be examined to ensure that job opportunities under the scheme were provided in a manner that it would not affect availability of labourers for agriculture, particularly during sowing and harvesting seasons.<br /><br />Explaining why the MoRD was opposed to the suggestion from the Ministry of Agriculture, Jain told”Rajya Sabha: “Since MNREGS is a demand driven scheme, backed by legislation, State Governments are obliged to provide up to 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household for doing unskilled manual work, if demanded, at any time of the year, as mandated in the Act.”<br />“Restricting work under MNREGA for any particular season will not be consistent with the spirit of the flagship legislation,” he said, replying to queries if the UPA Government proposes to suspend the scheme during the peak farming season. Jain said that the Government had not yet come across any definite findings that indicated shortage of farm labourers due to MNREGS during peak farming seasons.<br />Altogether 5.49 crore households were given employment under the MNREGS during 2010-11. Jain also told Rajya Sabha that the MNREGS had positive impact on agriculture productivity too, as crop yield had gone up due to renovation of ponds and canals.<br /></p>
<p>The MoRD has rejected a suggestion from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation for making changes in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MNREGS) to avoid scarcity of farmhands. The Planning Commission however last week came out with suggestions for major reforms in the MNREGS by bringing under its coverage agricultural activities like sowing, harvesting, soil preparation, irrigation, compost preparation and allied activities relating to livestock.<br /><br />Planning Commission member Mihir Shah said that the new guidelines would make clear provisions for undertaking MNREGS work in private lands of small and marginal farmers.<br /><br />The Union Government is also not keen to consider the demands from some states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to raise the number of days of guaranteed employment from existing 100 to 150 or 200. For, it believes that such a move could have an adverse impact on agricultural productivity. “MNREGA intends to provide the social security mechanism for the days, which is beyond the period of engagement in agriculture. Any increase in the number of such days of guaranteed employment will create a competitive disadvantage towards agricultural productivity,”the MoRD told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development.<br /><br />Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain last week told Rajya Sabha that the Ministry of Agriculture had recently suggested that possibility of amending the guidelines of the MNREGS might be examined to ensure that job opportunities under the scheme were provided in a manner that it would not affect availability of labourers for agriculture, particularly during sowing and harvesting seasons.<br /><br />Explaining why the MoRD was opposed to the suggestion from the Ministry of Agriculture, Jain told”Rajya Sabha: “Since MNREGS is a demand driven scheme, backed by legislation, State Governments are obliged to provide up to 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household for doing unskilled manual work, if demanded, at any time of the year, as mandated in the Act.”<br />“Restricting work under MNREGA for any particular season will not be consistent with the spirit of the flagship legislation,” he said, replying to queries if the UPA Government proposes to suspend the scheme during the peak farming season. Jain said that the Government had not yet come across any definite findings that indicated shortage of farm labourers due to MNREGS during peak farming seasons.<br />Altogether 5.49 crore households were given employment under the MNREGS during 2010-11. Jain also told Rajya Sabha that the MNREGS had positive impact on agriculture productivity too, as crop yield had gone up due to renovation of ponds and canals.<br /></p>
