In order to create self-employment opportunities as well to boost the local economy, the Kangra administration has launched “Samgra” scheme which provides for integrating private building works under MGNREGA scheme.
Samgra, signifies inclusion and reprioritising the economic activities, primarily private building works which may help in income supplementation and improve productivity.
“The objective is to help skilled and semi-skilled returnees, who lost their jobs due to Covid-19 pandemic,” said Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati.
Since such people find themselves unfit for labour jobs under MGNREGA works, the initiative is to provide them self-employment opportunities, he added.
At the same time, Prajapati said, the scheme will also benefit those who wish to start some projects under individual works scheme on their own land.
Prajapati said that district administration has introduced new procedures in MGNREGA scheme for individual beneficiaries and provide a fillip to rural-agro based economy.
The work sanction process is time-bound and responsibility of reaching out to the beneficiaries lies on local administration.
Under this scheme, Prajapati said, any skilled or semi-skilled person can make a simple application to their panchayats or Block Development Officer (BDO) along with relevant land records and documents to start their individual works.
{{/usCountry}}Under this scheme, Prajapati said, any skilled or semi-skilled person can make a simple application to their panchayats or Block Development Officer (BDO) along with relevant land records and documents to start their individual works.
{{/usCountry}}Samgra scheme includes 17 different activities related to agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and animal husbandry which can be undertaken in MGNREGA this year.
MNREGA shelf is advance approved by a Gram Sabha in October each. Under “Samgra”, if any individual work left out, the same can be sanctioned by the concerned BDO with the recommendation of the gram panchayat. Ex-post facto sanction can be taken for such works. Some of the works included in it are the construction of cowshed; goat-shed; poultry-yard; vermin compost pits; flower nursery; fishery ponds; water harvesting structures; check dams; and plantation of fodder and fruit plants.
Additional deputy commissioner Raghav Sharma, who designed the “Samgra” concept, said that earlier, there was provision for community works under MNREGA for 120 days in a year.
A non-returnable financial assistance of ₹9,000 to ₹ 100,000 is provided depending upon the nature of work.