Buoyed by the success of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme, the government mulls an NREGA-type poverty alleviation programme for the urban poor.
"The government is planning such a scheme (for urban poor)," minister of state for planning V Narayanasamy told reporters after assuming charge of his ministry in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Under the NREGA scheme, which was launched in February 2006, the government provides 100 days of assured employment in a year to at least one person in a rural household.
Initially launched in 200 districts, the NREGA scheme was gradually extended to cover the entire nation in 2008-09.
The new government, the minister said, would focus on infrastructure development besides pursuing the employment guarantee scheme, anti-poverty programmes and rural and urban development projects.
"The govt will see that there is all round progress in the country," Narayanasamy said outlining the priority of the second-term of the UPA government.
Referring to the problem of diversion of funds provided by the Centre to the state governments for the centrally- sponsored schemes, the minister said, "The UPA government would make strenuous efforts to deal with diversion of funds as well as changing the name of centrally-sponsored schemes by states."
"There are diversion of funds by certain state governments, that has to be stopped. The funds should be spent properly with the proper monitoring by the state concerned, In the previous period it was not there, and we will make strenuous efforts", Narayanasamy said.
Giving an indication that the UPA government would be tough with the states diverting funds from centrally-sponsored schemes, he said, "It is the wish of the prime minister also that funds provided for centrally-sponsored schemes should be spent properly by states."
The minister pointed out the incidents where states took the credit of central scheme by changing the names. "The other important factor which came to the notice of the Planning Commission, which is concern of the Prime Minister also and our UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, that names (of schemes) given by the Central government is changed."
Citing an example, he said, "The name of Pradhan Mantri ramin Sadak Yojana has been made as Mukhyamantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, NREGS has been given a different tone by the various state governments. . .and they have been publicising it as if it is their own programme. That should be stopped. We are very particular on that."
