To promote self-employment among people living below poverty line (BPL), particularly women, the rural development ministry proposes to set up a dedicated national bank for women self-help groups (SHGs) and also lower the interest rate on the credit they receive from any nationalized bank. Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday said he will soon take up both these proposals with the finance ministry. “We have proposed a detailed paper for a...

The ministry of agriculture has written to the ministry of rural development asking them to suspend Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) projects during peak farming seasons because of labour unavailability. The ministry of rural development headed by Jairam Ramesh has still to take a decision on this matter. The secretary of agriculture P.K. Basu in his letter has rung the alarm bells by pointing out that the ministry’s assessment...

-The Times of India   As many as 19 government officials have been penalized for not properly carrying out work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ( NREGA) in Sikar district. District collector Dharmendra Bhatnagar imposed financial penalties on the employees including three assistant engineers, one junior engineer, nine gram sevaks and six gram employment assistant. The employees were accused of carrying out work of Rajiv Gandhi Sewa...

-The Deccan Chronicle   Six years after the launch of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNAREGA), the Centre is soon to commission a first-ever third party evaluation of the flagship scheme in over 100 districts spread across the country. The exercise is tipped to be largest ever conducted to evaluate the performance of any of the scheme of the Central government. The evaluation, which will be carried out...

-The Morung Express   The Government of India-nominated members of a vigilance committee has convened an emergency meeting for Tuesday, July 12 in Kohima to discuss issues associated with more than Rs. 36 crores central grants given to Nagaland under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).    Members of the State-level Vigilance & Monitoring Committee nominated by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India will meet at 10 am in Kohima...