The Hindu : National : Employment Guarantee Bill introduced

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Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

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Employment Guarantee Bill introduced

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 21. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, 2004, that ensures at least 100 days of employment to poor families in the rural areas was introduced in Lok Sabha today.

Tabling the Bill, the Union Rural Development Minister, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, said it would go a long way in benefiting poor families in rural areas.

It promises a minimum of 100 days of employment to every poor household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. If an eligible applicant is not provided such an employment within 15 days of receipt of his application, he shall be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance, the rate of which will be specified by the State Governments.

The 100 days of employment will be provided at the wage rate to be specified by the Central Government. Until a wage is specified , the minimum wage rate fixed by the State Government under the Minimum Wages Act for agricultural labourers shall be considered as the wage rate.

Within six months of the legislation coming into force, all State Governments should prepare a scheme to give effect to guarantee the provisions under the legislation. Some of the works identified for providing employment include water conservation and harvesting, drought-proofing, irrigation canals, including micro and minor irrigation works, renovation of traditional water bodies, including desilting of tanks, land development, flood control and rural connectivity. "As far as practicable, a task funded under the scheme shall be performed by using manual labour and not machines," the draft says.

A Central Employment Guarantee Council at the Central level and State Employment Guarantee Councils at the State level in all States where the legislation is made applicable will be constituted for review, monitoring and effective implementation.

The Bill provides for establishing National Employment Guarantee Fund at the Central level and a State Employment Guarantee Fund to implement the employment guarantee scheme. The standing committee of the District Panchayat, District Programme Coordinator, Programme Officers and Gram Panchayats have been given responsibilities in implementing the schemes.

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