50 more districts in the ambit

After months of squabbling among the Union ministry of rural development (MoRD), the Union ministry of finance (MoF) and the Planning Commission, the Centre has agreed to extend the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) to another 50 districts.

Currently, NREGA is in operation in 200 backward districts. Finance minister P Chidambaram is expected to make a formal announcement in this regard in the Union Budget (2007-08) and link the extension with the Backward Region Grant Fund.

MoRD had proposed the inclusion of 110 districts to the existing list of 200 but this was shot down by MoF. The Planning Commission favoured extending the scheme to only 50 districts. It had suggested a steady expansion, keeping in mind