The Maharashtra government is aiming to secure increased funding under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to boost rural development works across the state. This announcement was made by Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Minister Bharat Gogawale during a half-hour discussion in the Legislative Assembly.
The discussion was initiated by MLA Kishor Patil, with participation from MLAs Anil Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, and Abhijit Patil.
Minister Gogawale stated that a comprehensive plan will soon be implemented to build farm roads across the state. A committee will be formed for this purpose, and meetings will be held with senior officials and local representatives to ensure that the road construction benefits a majority of farmers. “We will ensure that road projects are not stalled due to objections from one or two farmers. The greater good of all farmers will be prioritized,” he said.
Addressing technical concerns, he acknowledged that the EGS portal server had faced outages but assured that steps would be taken to keep it consistently operational.
The minister also hinted at a positive decision regarding the expansion of the 100-day work period under MGNREGS to provide additional employment opportunities. Furthermore, a meeting will be conducted with Group Development Officers (GDOs) to address queries received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act concerning the scheme. Gogawale assured that while GDOs will be protected when acting in good faith, strict action will be taken against those found guilty of irregularities.
The state government’s renewed focus on EGS aims to accelerate rural infrastructure and provide sustainable employment to the rural population.
