Lok Sabha Question No. 2399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-06
Subject: Special Employment Guarantee Scheme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Thiru D M Kathir Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2399 ANSWERED ON 06/08/2024

## SPECIAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME

## 2399 THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a)
- (b)
- whether  the  Government  has  taken  adequate  measures  to increase the budgetaryallocation for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) andSwachh Bharat,  Pradhan  MantriAwasYojana  -  Gramin  (PMAY-G)  and other  schemes  to  caterthe  welfare  of  rural  people  especially women;
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to increase the number of  working days from 100days to 150 days and effect the six percent increase in wages every year; and
- (d) whether the Government has initiated any special employment guarantee scheme forScheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs)/Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Minoritycommunities, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

- (a)  &  (b):  The  Ministry  of  Rural  Development(MoRD)  has  adopted multi-pronged  strategies  to  improve  the  economic  well-being  of people in rural areas with the main focus on  increasing livelihood opportunities, empowering rural women, providing social safety net skilling  of  rural  youth,  infrastructure  development  etc.  through  its Programmes.  In  this  regard,  the  Government  is  implementing  a number of targeted programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National

Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan MantriAwasYojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY), DeendayalAntyodayaYojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM), DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment  Training Institutes (RSETIs), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Watershed Development Component  (WDC)  of  the  Pradhan  MantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana (WDC-PMKSY). Apart from this, Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing  Swachh  Bharat  Mission-Grameen  (SBM-G)  in  rural areas. Increasing budgetary allocation under the schemes/ programmes of rural development is continuous process.  Funds are allocated  taking  into  consideration  adherence  of  the  provisions under the schematic guidelines and assessing the actual requirement at the ground level.

(c):  MGNREGS is a demand-driven wage employment scheme that provides for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred  days  of  guaranteed  wage  employment  in  every  financial year  to  every  household  whose  adult  members  volunteer  to  do unskilled manual work. It offers rural households fall back livelihood options when better employment opportunities are unavailable.

Additionally, it mandates an extra 50 days of wage employment  for  Scheduled  Tribe  households  in  forest  areas  and provides for an additional 50 days of wage employment in drought or  natural  calamity-affected  rural  areas.  State  Governments  have the  option  to  allocate  additional  days  of  employment  beyond  the guaranteed period using their funds.

(d):                All  the  schemes/programmes  of  this  Ministry  aim  at improving  the  standard  of  living  of  the  rural  people  including creation  of  employment  and  livelihood  opportunities.  For  creating employment opportunities and impart skills to rural people including SCs/STs/OBCs/  Minority  communities,  wherever  applicable,  this Ministry is implementing a number of schemes viz., MGNREGS, DDUGKY and RSETI. While MGNREGS assures guaranteed employment to  unskilled  workers  in  the  rural  areas,  DDU-  GKY  and  RSETI schemes  promote employability through either wage  or selfemployment leading to economic and social development of youths

of  rural  area  of  the  country.  However,  this  Ministry  does  not implement  any  employment  guarantee  scheme  specifically  for Scheduled  Castes  (SCs)/Scheduled  Tribes  (STs)/Other  Backward Classes (OBCs) and Minority communities.

Apart  from  this,  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  is implementing  Pradhan  MantriDakshtaAurKushaltaSampannHitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana to increase the skill levels of the target youth by providing for long-term and short-term skills, followed by engagement in wage/self-employment which caters for empowerment of socially, educationally and economically marginalized  sections  of  the  society  including  SCs,  OBCs,  Denotified  Tribes,  Economically  Backward  Classes  etc.  Ministry  of Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  is  implementing  Pradhan MantriKaushalVikasYojana (PMKVY) for Skill based training of the youth across the country including of youth belonging to Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe/ Economically weaker Section under Short Term  Training  (STT)  courses  and  Recognition  of  Prior  Learning (RPL).  Similarly,  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  &  Medium  Enterprises  is implementing Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), which is a major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of  micro-enterprises  in  the  non-farm  sector  by  helping  traditional artisans and unemployed youth.

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