Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice, Abdul Haq today called for a comprehensive “information, education and communication (IEC) strategy” for the government’s flagship schemes under Rural Development Department.The Minister called for wide publicity of the scheme aimed at providing employment to people. He said the Department has been able to generate 5.50 lac jobs under MGNREGA till August this year.He said this while chairing a meeting of officers to review the progress of various schemes of the Department.The meeting was attended by Secretary RDD Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Director RDD Syed Gazanfar, Mission Director NRLM Dr GN Qasba besides other senior officers of the Department. Abdul Haq said the strategy will aim at ensuring the spread of awareness of those provisions of the Act that empower people to demand jobs and remuneration. He said more people can be benefitted from various such schemes if proper communication channels are used to create awareness among the people.
The Minister said social media will be utilized and importance will be given to the branding of MGNREGA at the grass root level.Abdul Haq said the Department has been able to spend 87.51 percent of the total budget under MGNREGA and about 28035 works have been taken up under the scheme including spill over works.The meeting was informed that the Department has set a target of generation of 114.35 lac man-days out of which 13.267 lac man-days have been generated so far.The Minister was informed that under IAY, construction of 1827 houses was completed this year and an amount of Rs 42 lakh have been spent till date.The meeting was further informed that 432 works were approved for creation of durable assets in villages during last financial year and Rs 32 crore were earmarked for the same.