It is a great pleasure and honour for me to attend this Conference on the occasion of completion of 4 years of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. I welcome all of you and congratulate Dr. C.P. Joshi, the Minister for Rural Employment and his colleagues for organizing this Conference.

 

The Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act is one of the important Acts of our times. The purpose of this Act is to alleviate the severe poverty in rural areas. This Act provides employment opportunities to our poor brethren, increasing their income and thereby they lead their lives with dignity and self-respect.

 

As all of you know, in the last year, many countries had to pass through a difficult phase of economic crisis. India was also hit by the global economic slowdown, but not to that extend as the other countries faced. However, many of our major industries were affected, which resulted in decrease in employment opportunities. Not only this, many parts of the country also faced a drought like situation due to weak monsoon.

 

Many Chief Minister's have told me that it is the National Employment Guarantee Program that has helped our poor brethren in rural areas to face these difficulties. During the current year, more than 4 crore families have got employment under this programme. This clearly shows that this Scheme has been successful to a large extent in its aim of providing social security to the poor.

 

It has been our endeavor to involve as much as Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of this Scheme. This will help in effective implementation and proper monitoring of this Scheme. We also need to keep in mind that infrastructural facilities in rural areas get strengthened and agriculture receives an impetus by the works to be undertaken under this programme. I am happy to know that 51% of the total amount has been earmarked for water conservation purposes. This will increase the underground water level and improve soil productivity. We have taken a right step by covering lands of small and marginal farmers under these activities.

 

It is a matter of great satisfaction for us that the benefits of this program are reaching to those sections of the society which are socially and economically backward. During the financial year 2009-10, there has been 52% participation by the SCs and STs in this Employment Scheme. In tribal dominated districts, each family received an average employment of 65 days, which is much more than the national average of 48 days. The participation of 49% women in this program is also a matter of delight.

 

We also need to bring about more coordination between Rural Employment Schemes and other programs being implemented on the ground level. It is necessary that we see all such programs together whose objectives and aims are overlapping. By doing this, we will be able to get maximum benefits from the efforts we are making for the development and provide employment opportunities in rural areas. We are considering on imparting training to our youth who are employed through the National Rural Livelihood Mission under the Rural Employment Scheme. This will help them to get employment in infrastructure projects. For this, partnership with private institutions is also under consideration.

 

This Scheme has made many achievements during the last four years. But, some lapses are still there. This programme has been less effective and beneficial in some States. I would like to urge such State Governments to carry out a study of such States where this Scheme has been successful. So far as the Central Government is concerned, we will continuously strive to improve the delivery mechanisms. The delay in payment of wages is also a problem and it needs our urgent attention. We are trying to make effective payment of wages through Banks and Post Offices.

 

It is also necessary to provide information about this Scheme to workers in order to increase their working capacity. This can be done through literacy and training programs. Public accountability systems are being strengthened. Online monitoring of all physical and financial aspects of the Scheme is being carried out by Management Information Systems. We hope to make this Scheme a model of clean and accountable administration.

 

I hope that in the coming years, we will be able to strengthen the Rural Employment Scheme and reach it effectively to the common man. Let us we all pledge again that we will do our best for the success of this program. In the last but not least, I would like to congratulate those who are today being awarded for their contribution in implementing this historical Act. I hope this will inspire other people too and help implementation of programme more effectively.

 

Thank you.