PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh complimented his government on the progress of flagship programmes in his opening statement at the national press conference held recently, but was candid about challenges related to their implementation. UPA’s schemes for the poor have been at the core of the government’s ‘inclusive development’ agenda and were credited with bringing Congress back to power. Yet the government is unable to implement well the Mahatma Gandhi National...

World’s biggest employment guarantee scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) has ensured better wages for rural women. In a survey report, the National Sample Survey (NSS) organisation has found that disparity in wages between male and female workers in rural India has reduced between 2004-05 — when there was no MGNREG, and 2007-08 — when the scheme was introduced in most parts of rural India. Now, the rural women working...

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the occasion of completion of one year of the UPA Government in its second term said on Monday that the flagship programmes launched by his government are progressing well. "I will briefly highlight some of the important steps we have taken over the past year and also the pressing challenges that confront the nation,' Dr. Singh said during his opening remarks at the national...

Admitting "leakages" in funds meant for various development programmes and schemes, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, said that the government was working to rectify the problems. "There are leakages in programmes and schemes. You cannot deny that. It had been and is the endeavour of the government to rectify these," Singh told reporters here. The Prime Minister was asked about the steps taken by the government to ensure that...

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) Jagadish Shettar said that the government will introduce a satellite-based monitoring system to check the implementation of schemes and development works in rural areas with the help of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).    Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Shettar said “all works being carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) will be monitored thoroughly through...