New York: The UPA government that has been facing brickbats from the opposition parties has got a compliment from BJP leader LK Advani for its flagship programme, MGNREGA, which he said has helped empower rural people and revive economic growth.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in August 2005, has been touted as a flagship programme by the UPA government.
Advani said the scheme is the largest cash for work programme in the world and responds to the needs of 53 million poor rural households by ensuring 100 days employment to them per year with at least 50 per cent of the work reserved for women.
"This programme has helped break down social inequalities, empower rural people, build up rural infrastructure and revive economic growth," Advani said during his address on `Social Development` at the General Debate in the Third Committee, which focusses on social, humanitarian and cultural affairs, at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly here on Tuesday.
Advani is part of a group of visiting Indian Parliamentarians who will be participating in various sessions of the General Assembly.
He listed efforts made by India to help women and vulnerable groups, particularly in rural areas, initiatives in the field of education, health interventions and programmes to assist persons with disabilities.
He said in India, achieving inclusive growth underpinned by empowerment of people, especially women, good governance, and investments in social sectors, education and health, skills training, affordable housing, are a major focus.
Given that 65 per cent of India`s population lives in rural areas, special emphasis has been placed on rural development initiatives, he added.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.