New Delhi : Taking the scope of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme a notch higher, the government is set to pay a daily allowance of up to Rs 250 to a casual labourer undergoing skill development training for specialised work.
Starting October, the ministry of rural development would train labourers enrolled in MGNREGA to upgrade their skill sets and equip them with better employment opportunities. To ensure that these MGNREGA workers attend the skill training programmes, the ministry would make good the loss of daily livelihood of the family –– to the tune of 200-250 daily –– as the MGNREGA worker undergoes training. The ministry has tied up with Krishi Vigyan Kendras to train the MGNREGA workers in preparation of organic manure and basic storage of crop produce. The government has prepared 40-day on-site module for mason training and plumbing work also.
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Speaking to ET, secretary (rural development) Amarjeet Sinha said, “The government needs to ensure that a MGNREGA family moves beyond labour work to improve employment opportunities. We find that people are unwilling to attend skill training programmes because they feel they would lose out on their daily wages. So, we will pay them roughly Rs 200-250 – commensurate to the state’s MGNREGA rate – to make good the loss of livelihood.” Since the cost of the MGNREGA programme is high, the government also feels that over the next five years the number of families supported by the flagship initiative should decline. As first reported in ET on July 16, this skilling programme has been included under the government’s 100-day agenda. The money would be given to the family. The family would be given the daily allowance even if the male member is undergoing training and the woman is employed under MGNREGA.
The government is expected to unveil this at the end of October with pilot projects. Aspirational districts would be given priority in this initiative. “We want to ensure that we are not skilling very old people. We are trying to cater to MGNREGA workers in the age bracket of 18 to 35,” Sinha said. This proposal would not need Cabinet approval. The ministry would now seek the nod of the standing committee of finance.
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