Five years after launching the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the UPA government is now shifting the focus from mere employment generation to creation of durable assets. With this focus, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come out with the “MgNREGA works field manual”, which lays down “do’s and don’ts” for the states. The manual has been prepared by a team of experts headed by GN Sharma, who is consultant...

On the basis of fact finding report from the Union rural development secretary B K Sinha on rampant corruption and irregularities in operation of rural job schemes in several districts in Jharkhand under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MgNREGA), the Centre has discontinued in releasing funds to seven districts in the state in the current financial year 2011-12. MgNREGA commissioner in Jharkhand A K Singh confirmed that seven districts –...

A year before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Planning Commission has ranked the state poorly on performance of 12 major flagship schemes of the Central government. The new analysis is likely to provide Congress ammunition against the Mayawati government on UP for not been able to utilize the Central government funds effectively. The new ranking, which is the part of annual state plan report for 2011-12, finds UP at the bottom...

-The Economic Times   It's promising to be a tumultous kharif sowing season notwithstanding the massive food grain stocks with the government which is forcing down farmer produce prices countrywide. Early arrival of a forecast normal to good monsoon should have ordinarily enthused farmers to increase the acreage under key summer sown crops this season. But, in protest against the Centre's persisting anti-farmer policies, small and marginal farmers in some villages...

-The Economic Times   The Meghalaya government today cautioned that some false job letters were being distributed in the state in the name of the Union Rural Development Ministry to mislead job seekers. "Some vested interests are circulating false job offers purportedly issued by the Project Director, Srimati Indu Sarma, New Delhi, where the letter head carries the National Emblem and the name of MgNREGA Act 2005, Ministry of Rural Development, Government...