The Hindu : New Delhi News : Extend rural job guarantee scheme: Rahul

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Extend rural job guarantee scheme: Rahul

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Barely a day after assuming office, the newly appointed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was part of a delegation of office bearers that met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday and urged him to extend the National Rural Employment Employment Guarantee Scheme to all the 600 districts of the country. The scheme that provides 100 days of employment to the rural poor is at present being implemented in 330 districts.

The Prime Minister is understood to have assured the delegation that he would give serious consideration to their request.

He is reported to have said that a decision in the matter would be taken “shortly.” Sources, however, said that the matter is already under consideration and was to be announced in the budget session of Parliament as it entailed allocation of funds.

Claiming that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was a landmark legislation of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, the new team of Congress general secretaries pointed out that it was also one of the important promises in the Congress manifesto and a key element of the National Common Minimum Programme.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the delegation said that the Act represented a paradigm shift in that it provides assured employment for 100 days to a rural household.

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