Latest news with #MinistryofRuralDevelopment
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Standing committee flags road construction delay in LWE-hit areas
Flagging slow progress of work in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas, a Parliamentary panel has asked the Ministry of Rural Development to adopt 'sincere innovative ideas' and guide states to ensure that road projects under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in those areas are completed in a time-bound manner. In its report, the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said: 'The Committee notes that Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA), a very important intervention under PMGSY, was launched in 2016… The deadline for the completion of this vertical under PMGSY was March, 2020 which was extended till March, 2025. In this regard, the Committee are concerned to note that out of total of 12,228 km sanctioned road length only 9,523 km is completed as on 14th May, 2025 and length of 2,705 km is still left even after extended deadlines.' While acknowledging the challenges such as insurgency terrain and forest clearance issues, the Committee said bottlenecks can be removed by proper planning and strong coordination. 'Perhaps area specific professionals who are skilled to work in combat and insurgent zones such as Border Road Organisation might serve as a boost,' said the committee headed by Congress member Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Gujarat registers over 5 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis', sets target of 10 lakh women entrepreneurs
Gujarat has recorded over 5.96 lakh women earning more than ₹1 lakh annually under the Union government's Lakhpati Didi scheme. Launched in 2023, the initiative aims to support three crore women across the country by 2027. In Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led State government has set a target of enabling 10 lakh women to achieve this income level through self-employment and enterprise. The scheme supports rural women associated with self-help groups (SHGs) to start income-generating activities in agriculture, animal husbandry, trade, manufacturing, and services. It provides skill training, financial assistance, marketing support, and access to government welfare schemes. Income is calculated by including earnings from farm and non-farm work, wage employment, employed family members, and commissions or honorariums. Digital Aajeevika Register As of July 2025, 10.74 lakh women in Gujarat have been identified by trained Community Resource Persons (CRPs) as having the potential to become Lakhpati Didis, officials said on Thursday. 'To support this, the Ministry of Rural Development has created a Digital Aajeevika Register, which records each woman's livelihood activity, assets, expenditure, and income. Based on this information, women are being provided with resources tailored to their needs.' To strengthen implementation, according to officials, the Gujarat government has deployed 124 Master Trainers at the taluka level. These trainers have trained over 10,000 CRPs who work directly with women in SHGs. The CRPs offer guidance on business development, linkages to schemes, and monitoring progress through the Digital Aajeevika Register. The initiative has led to changes in income levels in several districts, they said, stating that in Mahuva taluka of Surat, Ankitaben Pinalbhai Patel from Shekhpur village began working as a drone pilot in 2024, spraying crop protection products. Within a year, she earned ₹2 lakh. Earlier, her household income depended on farming. She now receives regular orders and manages the work with support from her family, they said. The Gujarat government is continuing its work with SHGs and CRPs to meet the 10 lakh target, they said, and added that 'all support services under the scheme are being tracked and delivered using digital tools developed by the Ministry of Rural Development.'
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
MP urges relaxing criteria for rural road scheme citing ground realities in DK
Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta urged the Central Government to relax the criteria for construction of all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna-Phase IV, in so far as coastal and Malnad districts of Karnataka are concerned. Raising the issue under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha on August 6, Capt. Chowta flagged the implementation challenges of PMGSY-IV with respect to the realities of ecologically sensitive and topographically complex regions like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, parts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Kodagu districts in Karnataka. Acknowledging the transformative impact of PMGSY under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Capt. Chowta praised the substantial gains in rural connectivity achieved through Phases I, II, and III of the scheme. However, he highlighted that Phase IV guidelines do not adequately account for the ground realities of coastal and Malnad districts. What are these ground realities The MP pointed out that while many habitations appear 'connected' in the Management Information System (MIS), ground verification in hilly and forested areas shows that several remote hamlets still lack reliable and all-weather motorable access. He pointed out that these districts have been incorrectly classified as 'plain areas' under PMGSY-IV, which affects eligibility, funding and design norms. Capt. Chowta expressed concern that the population thresholds — 500+ for plain terrain and 250+ for hilly terrain — leave out scattered, but permanently inhabited hamlets located more than 1.5 km from the nearest road. These small settlements often remain cut off from essential services, like health and education. He said, 'Our government has done transformative work in rural connectivity, including tribal settlements. Minor course correction in regions like the coastal and Malnad districts, particularly Dakshina Kannada, will ensure no village is left behind.' The MP urged the Ministry of Rural Development to reclassify these districts as 'hilly terrain', enable on-ground verification of connectivity status, and relax population thresholds. He also recommended a cluster-based planning approach for remote, dispersed habitations. Connecting 25,000 habitations PMGSY-IV aims to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations. It was launched in September 2024 to connect 25,000 habitations prioritising tribal and aspirational areas on the basis of Census 2011 data. For the five-year period, the 2025 budget had sanctioned ₹70,125 crore to construct 62,500 km new roads in rural areas.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Rural job demand falls sharply as monsoon pulls workers back to farms
New Delhi: Demand for rural jobs under India's flagship public employment programme fell to a 10-month low in July as the onset of the monsoon season pulled millions of workers back to the fields, suggesting both seasonal shifts and early signs of rural economic resilience. About 16.6 million households sought work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in July, according to data from the Ministry of Rural Development. That's down sharply from 27.56 million in June, 28.38 million in May, and 20.12 million in April. The July decline reflects a typical mid-year dip when agricultural activity tied to kharif sowing temporarily absorbs labor from public works. The fall also underscores the cyclical nature of rural livelihoods, where demand for government-backed employment often mirrors fluctuations in farm activity. Still, the national headline numbers mask sharp regional disparities and continued reliance on MGNREGA in several states. Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of households seeking work in July, at 3.11 million, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2.22 million), Rajasthan (1.4 million), Andhra Pradesh (1.28 million), and Madhya Pradesh (1.11 million), signalling sustained employment pressure across both southern and northern regions. Even in less industrialized states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala, MGNREGA remains a critical wage support, especially for vulnerable households struggling with erratic incomes and a still-fragile private-sector recovery. From January through July 2025, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu reported the highest cumulative job demand under the scheme, highlighting its continued importance across India's rural heartlands. Spokespersons for the ministries of finance and rural development did not respond to emailed requests for comment. As a demand-driven safety net, MGNREGA serves as a key gauge of rural economic health. While July's dip may be attributed to intensified farm activity, economists warn that job demand trends should be viewed against a backdrop of macroeconomic uncertainty and climatic variability. Work demand under MGNREGA peaked in May, in line with seasonal highs for FY25, before beginning its downward trend as sowing progressed. India's Meteorological Department has forecast an above-normal southwest monsoon for this fiscal year, with rainfall expected to reach 106% of the long-period average, a positive sign for agricultural output. A report by ratings agency Icra Ltd, dated 1 August, projected normal to above-normal rainfall in most parts of the country, but flagged the risk of below-average precipitation in parts of central, northeastern, and western peninsular India. 'Work demand under MGNREGS witnessed a seasonal dip in June and July 2025; subdued real wages under the scheme remain a key concern,' Icra said in the report. Excluding West Bengal, the number of individuals seeking work fell to 20.2 million in July from 35.4 million in June and 37.9 million in May, the latter marking a 23-month high. For the first four months of FY26, overall work demand declined 3.1% year-on-year, the report added. During FY25, work demand similarly peaked in May and bottomed out in September at 18.9 million individuals. A comparable pattern is expected this year. Despite rising demand in several states, the central government has kept MGNREGS allocations unchanged at ₹ 86,000 crore for FY26, the same as the previous year. A mid-year review in September or October will determine whether additional funds are needed, especially if weather shocks or seasonal surges in demand emerge. In December, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj urged the government to revise MGNREGA wage rates, warning that they had failed to keep pace with inflation. The panel called for broader stakeholder consultations and a comprehensive overhaul to ensure the programme remains equitable and financially sustainable for rural workers.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
‘Blockchain-based land records not part of Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme'
Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmsani Chandra Sekhar on Tuesday stated that blockchain-based land records are not part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), a fully centrally funded initiative launched in April 2016. He was responding to a question by Warangal Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya, who sought to know whether the Ministry of Rural Development is considering blockchain-based digital land records for farmers in Warangal to streamline subsidy distribution and curb fraud. She also urged the government to explore blockchain technology to ensure transparent access to agricultural subsidies for smallholder farmers. She further sought details on any pilot projects planned across Telangana's districts and a timeline for implementing this technology to enhance transparency in rural subsidy programmes.
