Shivamogga DISHA committee decides to implement VB – G RAM G

Shivamogga

The District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in Shivamogga, in Karnataka, adopted a resolution to implement the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) as it is. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra in Shivamogga on January 27.

This move by the DISHA gains significance in the wake of the opposition of the government of Karnataka to replacing the MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM G.

Interestingly, the decision of the Shivamogga district DISHA was taken on the day when the Congress party staged a protest in Bengaluru against the repeal of MGNREGA Act.

Mr. Raghavendra, making the preliminary remarks, stated that the Union Government had taken a decision of bringing in VB – G RAM G Act to replace MGNREGA. The new Act would increase guaranteed employment to 125 days, revise the wage, and also widen the scope of the scheme.

Suvarna S.D., a nominated member of the DISHA committee, claimed that there was scope for corruption in the MGNREGA and the funds were misused. She claimed to have studied the scheme when she worked as president of a gram panchayat in Sagar taluk. She would welcome the new Act and also support the resolution to implement the scheme as per the new Act.

Similarly, the committee resolved to appeal to the State Government to grant its contributions to the works under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. Under the scheme the Union Government provides a grant of ₹20 lakh to take up development works in the village, where more than 40% of people are Scheduled Castes. “The scheme was launched in 2018 and in the year 2018-19, the State Government also gave a contribution of ₹20 lakh. However, later it stopped. We appeal to the State Government to contribute the funds so that rural people, particularly those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, are benefited,” said Mr. Raghavendra.

“The scheme was launched in 2018. In the year 2018-19, the government of Karnataka contributed ₹20 lakh. However, later the contribution was stopped. We appeal to the State Government to contribute the funds so that rural people, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes, are benefited,” said Mr. Raghavendra.

Crop insurance

Mr. Raghavendra said that areca growers in the district suffered loss in the weather-based crop insurance scheme due to faulty rain gauges. “The loss of farmers should be compensated and the district administration should ensure that all rain gauges work properly so that the growers do not suffer losses in the coming years,” he said.

He directed the Deputy Commissioner to convene a meeting of all elected representatives before finalising the term sheets with insurance companies.

Deputy Commissioner Prabhulinga Kavalikatti, Zilla Panchayat CEO N. Hemanth, and Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil were among those who attended the meeting.