An initiative to set up information technology (IT) kiosks to offer government services in rural India is likely to miss its expanded target of establishing 250,000 centres because of delays in releasing funds. The scheme to set up 100,000 common service centres (CSCs), through which villagers would be able to access a host of services, was launched in 2006. In June 2009, President Pratibha Patil said in her inaugural address to the...
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Fewer hands to craft Durga idols in Kolkata, courtesy jobs scheme
The city's famous potters' colony of Kumartuli is facing an acute shortage of hands to sculpt Durga Puja idols. Behind this labour scarcity is an unlikely culprit - the rural jobs scheme which has induced hundreds to stay back in their villages. Costs of organising Durga Puja have gone up this year as more has to be shelled out on labour and raw material - in some cases jumping almost 50...
More »Declare West Bengal drought a national calamity: CPI-M
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday demanded the central government declare the drought in West Bengal a national calamity and provide subsidies for writing off crop loans taken in the kharif season. With 11 of the 18 districts in the state already declared drought-affected, the water level has been receding in most of the south Bengal districts, making the peasants doubtful about how much proportion of the harvest can be...
More »Rural employment scheme may come under CVC ambit by Rahul Chandran, Ruhi Tewari & Utpal Bhaskar
The Union government plans to empower the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which currently oversees the work of state agencies and state-owned companies, to investigate complaints against its flagship rural jobs scheme. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) promises 100 days of annual work to one member of every rural household. CVC currently has to route complaints about irregularities in the scheme’s execution to a state chief secretary or the...
More »Not enough steps taken to bridge rich-poor gap: Aiyar
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Sunday the authorities were not taking enough steps to bridge the widening gap between the rich and the poor. He raised questions over the implementation of major schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) and accused the Union government of “relentlessly” supporting the stock market, thinking its health reflected the people's health. Delivering a lecture here...
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