-The Indian Express Can wages paid to NREGA workers from scheduled castes be counted as money spent on SCs’ welfare? The Rural Development Ministry believes it can, but Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Kumari Selja doesn’t buy the argument. She has shot off a letter to the Planning Commission, questioning the rationale of including Rs 10,000 crore of NREGA funds in the SC sub-plan, under which a mandated 16.2% — the percentage...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Cash Transfer to Cover All J'khand Districts by May: Ramesh
-Outlook Chandwa (J'hand): All districts in Jharkhand would be covered in the Direct Cash Transfer programme by middle of next year, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. "Now Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Sareikela-Kharsawan and Ranchi are among the Jharkhand districts in the country where Direct Cash Transfer programme will begin from January 1. We are trying to cover all the districts in the state by May," the Rural Development minister said while taking stock...
More »States fail to spend Rs 30,000 crore allocated for rural schemes
-The Times of India Even as the government promised to dole out Rs. 99,000 crore for such schemes in the current fiscal, the states have failed to utilize nearly Rs 30,000 crore meant for various flagship programmes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). "In 2012-13, about Rs 99,000 crore are being given to the states for rural development programmes. The responsibility for spending money on these programmes is entirely...
More »States failed to spend Rs 29,760 cr on flagship programmes like MGNREGA & PMGSY: Jairam Ramesh
-PTI States have failed to spend Rs 29,760 crore under various flagship programmes during the last fiscal, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. He said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha that Rs 10,993 crore remained unspent under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Rs 5,859 crore under Indira Aawas Yojana (IAY). Funds to the tune of Rs 8,919 crore could also not be utilised under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak...
More »Plan panel to have discretionary powers on release of funds to States -Aarti Dhar
-The Hindu Giving itself discretionary powers on release funds to States under various Central schemes, the Planning Commission has decided to restructure 16 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) into Additional Central Assistance (ACA) Schemes. The new funding pattern will be effective from 2013-14. While restructuring the CSSs will give more flexibility to the States to utilise the funds, it will also give the Planning Commission absolute control over the quantity of money to...
More »