MGNREGS to focus on water conservation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 28 2017:
In connection with the preparation of MGNREGS labour budget for 2018-19, Gram Sabha meetings have been going on at different places and the budget is most likely to focus on water conservation with the primary objective of enhancing agricultural productivity.
Sources informed that there are 155 different works which can be implemented under MGNREGS and out of them, 71 works are related to water conservation.
Other works should be related to natural resources management or they should be implemented by
converging Agriculture, Horticulture and other relevant departments.
MGNREGS labour budget for a financial year should be prepared in advance and it should be approved by the Ministry of Rural Development before necessary fund is sanctioned.
As such, the State Government has been taking pro-active roles in preparing the labour budget, the sources informed.
The labour budget should be based on feedbacks and proposals submitted by Gram Pachayats and village authorities.
However, labour budgets were prepared in a very casual manner without holding Gram Sabha meetings properly during the previous financial years.
But such nonchalant attitude would not be allowed this time, the sources said.
Even decisions adopted at Gram Sabha meetings would be uploaded on the Ministry's website.
Moreover, all the existing watersheds would be uploaded in Google map before taking up further necessary action.
Notably, there are 5.5 lakh active job card holders under MGNREGS in Manipur.