Marking a shift of focus under the MGNREGA from mere job generation to asset creation, the Ministry of Rural Development has released a report on creation of irrigation potential for more than 46.57 lakh hectares, and individual assets for 33 lakh people under the scheme in 2015-16. This is the first time in the decade-long history of the rural livelihood generation scheme that the ministry has released a performance outcome of assets. The report states that 46.57 lakh hectares has benefited from Natural Resource Management initiatives such as watershed management works, afforestation, land development, check dams, wells and ponds. MGNREGA suffered from credibility issues since we never gave much importance to assets that were being created while generating jobs. (But) the Prime Minister’s exhortation to states for water conservation has borne good results, a ministry official said. Sixty-four per cent of all expenditure last year has been on agriculture and allied activities. Over the last three months this year, drought-prone states have come forward with water conservation and harvesting measures states such as Jharkhand and Karnataka have build over a lakh farm ponds, he added.
2016 The Indian Express [P] Ltd.