Karnataka to hold 'Job Card Melas' for new rural employment scheme

Karnataka Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to organise "Job Card Melas" across the state within a week to provide employment to eligible beneficiaries under the restructured rural employment guarantee scheme, VB-G RAM G.

Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to organise "Job Card Melas" across the state within a week to provide employment to eligible beneficiaries under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Scheme, the restructured version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.

Statewide 'Job Card Melas' Ordered

In a written instruction to the department secretary, Khandre said inactive job cards had been cancelled but stressed that adequate care must be taken to ensure poor rural families are not unjustly denied benefits. He directed officials to hold Job Card Melas within a week across all 5,927 Gram Panchayats and issue job cards immediately to all eligible rural families seeking employment. The minister said the exercise should cover Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, persons with disabilities, women-headed households and landless labourers.

According to Khandre, Rs 2,900 crore has been allocated under VB-G RAM G, comprising Rs 1,700 crore, which is 60 per cent, from the Centre and Rs 1,200 crore, which is 40 per cent, from the state government. He said Rs 1,000 crore out of the allocation had already been released to all Gram Panchayats in the state for wage payments.

Minister Addresses Implementation Issues

Khandre said the government had taken serious note of reports that implementation of VB-G RAM G was unsatisfactory in some Gram Panchayats despite there being no shortage of funds. He directed officials to ensure that the employment guarantee is provided to the rural population and that eligible beneficiaries are able to access the scheme.

Concerns Over New Funding Pattern

Earlier in July, Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre said the state government was fully prepared to implement the Centre's newly launched VB-GRAM G scheme, which came into effect on July 1, but expressed concern that its revised funding pattern would impose a significant financial burden on states compared to MGNREGA.

Speaking to ANI, Khandre said that while the Centre earlier bore 90 per cent of the wage costs under MGNREGA, the revised funding pattern under VB-GRAM G would increase the financial responsibility of state governments. "Under MGNREGA, the central government bore 90% of the wage costs, while the state government contributed 10%. But the BJP government at the Centre has now replaced MGNREGA with VB-GRAM G. Under this new VB-GRAM G scheme, the funding pattern is a 60:40 ratio, which will place a very huge financial burden on the states," he added. (ANI)

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