HYDERABAD: Technical/supervisory staff required to implement the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme works will be recruited from among locals in a mandal, having Class X, ITI, diploma qualifications.

Persons from other mandals will be employed only if locals are not available. A daily wage of Rs 80 will be paid to the beneficiaries.

The scheme is being launched in February to provide guaranteed gainful employment to 30,000 persons for 100 days in a year, covering 13 districts in the State. Equal wages will be paid to both men and women.

These were some of the guidelines finalised by the Cabinet Sub-committee on the scheme at its third meeting here on Tuesday. Rural Development Minister D. Srinivas presided and ministers J. C. Diwakar Reddy, N. Raghuveera Reddy and G. Vinod attended.

First phase

Entire Telangana and Rayalaseema regions have been selected except Hyderabad (urban) and Kurnool districts for the scheme in its first phase. No district from Coastal Andhra has been included, as it did not fulfil the three parameters -- sufficient percentage of SC/ST population, labour-wage rate and labour productivity.

Mr Srinivas told reporters later that 10 per cent of the cost of the scheme would be met by the State. The Government's contribution would go towards unemployment allowance payable to families who register their names under the scheme, but were not shown jobs. The allowance would be at the rate of 25 per cent of the minimum wage payable for the first 30 days and 50 per cent for the rest of the 100-day period.

The Ministers hoped that the scheme would arrest migration of families for food once and for all.

Selection of works

The meeting approved guidelines against the use of machinery which would replace labourers, and on selection of works at grama sabhas, subject to final clearance by Collectors, and implementation of 50 per cent of works by the gram panchayat itself.

Mr. Srinivas said the scheme was so distinct that works suitable even to physically challenged and pregnant women would be taken up. He clarified that lands belonging to SCs and STs could also be developed.

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