MGNREGA will be linked to development of villages-Gopinath Munde

Rural Development Minister and the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation and of Panchayati Raj Shri Gopinath Munde said that integrated development of villages, tackling sanitation problem and effective implementation of Land Acquisition policy will be his key priorities in the new government. Talking to media here after taking charge of the Ministry of Rural Development, the Minister said, he is in favour of MGNREGA, but his aim will be to remove the shortcomings in the rural job scheme for its transparent implementation. He said, MGNREGA will be linked to the all round progress of the villages as creation of jobs and development should go hand in hand. The Minister said that he will soon call a meeting of State Rural Development Ministers to deliberate on various issues linked to the progress of villages. He said that his main focus will be that all policies and schemes made in Delhi should reach to the village level in a genuine manner. 

Dwelling on the issue of sanitation, Shri Munde said that it would be the endeavour of the Government that each household should have a toilet, besides laying stress on community sanitation. He, however lamented that the budget provision for the sanitation is very low, nearly 4,260 crore rupees , whereas the enormity of the problem is well known to all. He said, all efforts will be made for the construction of low cost toilets in the rural households. 

Shri Munde also defended the Land Acquisition Policy saying that it is not against the industrialisation and urbanisation as being reported in a section of the media. He said, the new land acquisition act is also farmer friendly as they will get compensation for loss of land at market price. 

Earlier, the Minister met the Secretary, Rural Development Shri L.C.Goyal and other senior officials of the Ministry, who briefed him about the various initiatives of the Ministry and possible action points. 

Minister of State for Rural Development and the Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation and of Panchayati Raj Shri Upendra Kushwaha also took charge of the Ministry and called on Shri Munde and discussed some of the key issues of the Ministry.