MGNREGS 'strongest weapon' against rural unemployment: MoS Rural Development

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Minister of State for Rural Development Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani on Monday said MGNREGS is the "strongest weapon" against rural unemployment and distress migration, especially during lean agricultural seasons.

Addressing senior officials and stakeholders from various states at the first meeting of the ministry's Performance Review Committee for the FY 2025-26, Pemmasani said the scheme has created durable and productive assets, while generating over 250 crore person-days annually.

A 'Viksit Gaon' where every family has a pucca house with basic amenities, every village is connected by quality roads, every rural youth has employment opportunities, and every woman is empowered and financially independent is not a distant dream but an achievable reality, the minister said.

Talking about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pemmasani said it is the "strongest weapon against rural unemployment and distress migration, especially during agricultural lean seasons".

He said the scheme has resulted in the creation of durable and productive assets like farm ponds, check dams, irrigation canals, plantations, anganwadis, rural roads and over 250 crore person-days are generated annually.

He said the critical improvements required in the scheme include a shift from wage payment to meaningful asset creation, adopting diversified work, convergence with other development schemes and community participation in work selection.

On the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, he said, since its launch, more than 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built for rural families living in dilapidated homes.

With the recent Union Cabinet approval, a target of constructing two crore additional houses by 2029 has been set to meet the rising demand due to family growth and rural population expansion, he said.

The MoS stressed completing pending houses within the stipulated time frames and quality construction, among other things, according to an official statement.

On the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), he said over 7.56 lakh km of rural roads have been constructed till date, providing all-weather connectivity to more than 1.83 lakh eligible habitations across the country. PTI AO RHL RHL