Maharashtra sets aside Rs 6,728 crore under employment guarantee scheme

Maharashtra government has made available Rs 6,728 crore under the employment guarantee scheme to provide jobs to people in rural areas affected by drought.

The funds will be used to undertake 375 types of individual and public works, aimed at generating employment locally and creating permanent assets in villages, Employment Guarantee Scheme Minister Bharat Gogawale said.

The allocation has been made through the Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme, Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G) and related agencies. The Centre will contribute 60 per cent of the funds, while the state government's share will be 40 per cent.

Division-wise allocation

• Amravati division: Rs 1,145 crore
• Konkan: Rs 489 crore
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Rs 1,944 crore
• Nagpur: Rs 119 crore
• Pune division: Rs 801 crore

Individual-benefit works include irrigation facilities, cattle sheds, fruit orchards, borewell recharge, bamboo plantation, works under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, shed construction for sericulture and compost pits. Public-benefit works include repair and maintenance of public ponds, gabion structures, percolation tanks, earthen bunds, RCC retaining structures, farm and access roads, storage buildings of agricultural produce market committees and market platforms.