Five major steps taken by the State government for implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) in the backward districts in the State has come in for praise at a national workshop in Mussourie.

BARRACKPORE (North 24-Parganas), May 6: Residents of Harishpur village have been forced to earn their livelihood by begging as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) failed to improve their lives. Harishpur, which is under Mamudpur gram panchayat near Naihati is one of the most backward villages in North 24-Parganas. The village, which is largely inhabited by Adivasis (Tribals), has 300 families living there. Developmental activities have not been seen for these people who are struggling for their existence.

With the CAG finding irregularities in implementation of its flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the government has decided to stop direct cash payment to the beneficiaries and open bank accounts to transfer their wages.

TAMBARAM: Gram sabhas, held on Thursday in 25 panchayats of St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union (also called Mount Block) in connection with May Day, discussed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and how it could benefit men and women aged above 18, seeking jobs. It is mandatory for these rural local bodies to convene gram sabhas or village council meetings on important national days. The subjects usually covered at the meetings in the St. Thomas Mount Block pertained to basic amenities and the welfare assistance for senior citizens and women.

More than 5,000 herbal homegard enshave been developed in remote tribal villages covered under Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project(MPRLP). These herbal home gardens have come up in Dhar, Jhabua, Barwani, Mandla, Dindori, Anuppur, Shahdol and Sheopur, an official release said. Developed under the country cooperation fund of United Nations Development Programme, the purpose is to conserve bio-diversity and revive indigenous knowledge system among the tribal communities.

Noted social crusader Anna Hazare who called on Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Monday does not seem convinced by the latter's assurance and hence has threatened to go on fast unless his demands are accepted in totality. He has trained his guns on Food & Civil Supplies Minister Sunil Tatkare for alleged corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS) including kerosene distribution. Hazare, in his comment on the three-year rule of the Democratic Front government led by Deshmukh, said they are working on the principle of

Congress national general secretary and MP, Rahul Gandhi has set out to know the pain of the public and to understand country's plight in villages. He has been amidst the villagers in Madhya Pradesh for last several days. He takes night halt at any poor man's residence in villages and days are spent treading the paths of villages. Rahul wants to have a closer watch of India and its public and is trying to understand. He meets poor people with sympathy and asks about the schemes implemented by the Union government.

On the occasion of May Day, the State's rural poor, particularly the seasonal agricultural labourers, have much to complain about the flagship employment scheme which gives the citizens the right to demand for work. The much touted National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) which came into effect from February 2006 with an outlay of Rs 16,419 crore for the initial year has come a cropper in the State with all the provisions of the Act being openly flouted.

A continuing agitation by farmers over diversion of water from the Hirakud reservoir to industrial units is threatening to spoil the Orissa government's calculations for assembly elections next year.