-The Times of India RANCHI: If deposits in banks are indicative of prosperity of a region, Jharkhand villages have been blazing quite a trail over the past couple of years. The volume of money deposited with rural bank branches witnessed a whopping 34% increase over the last fiscal as against increase of mere 19% in the urban bank branches. With emphasis on financial inclusion, linking MGNREGA wages with bank accounts and...

-The Asian Age Stating that many serious irregularities have come to light in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in some districts of Karnataka , Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday took the Karnataka government to task for failing to take action. Speaking to media persons after visiting family toilets built under the Parishud Grama Yojana by Infosys Foundation at Gamvar village in Jewargi...

-Deccan Herald First conviction in Rajasthan for MGNREGS anomalies In the first ever conviction in the state for fudging MGNREGA works, a lower court in Beawar in Ajmer has sentenced four persons to seven years in jail with a fine of Rs 50,000 each and two others for three years with a fine of Rs 10,000 each.  These persons were accused of anomalies of about Rs 1.41 crore in the operation of Mahatma Gandhi...

-DNA While all scarcity-affected districts are working toward implementing their contingency plans, the government has indicated that most of the relief work will be carried out under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). Also, officials said the number of scarcity-hit talukas is likely to be reduced with the skies finally opening up. Talukas that get more than 150mm average rainfall will be taken off the scarcity-hit list. “Nearly 70% scarcity-related relief...

-The Economic Times The rural development ministry is preparing for a big push to its flagship employment generation programme as drought has depressed demand for farm labour. The ministry has written to state governments asking them to identify development projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to ensure there's enough work available for those in need.  "We expect demand for work and wages to go up in the coming...