Rajasthan State PCS

• 05 Sep 2022

MNREGA Mate Wages Now Rs 240 Per Day

Why In News?

On September 4, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal of the Rural Development Department to increase met wages in MNREGA. The workers working in the state will now get Rs 240 per day.

Key Points

• The per day wage of mate employed in Rajasthan has been increased under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• With the approval of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the wage rate of employed mates under MNREGA scheme has been increased from Rs 235 per day to Rs 240 per day for the year 2022-23 .
• It is noteworthy that according to the instructions of the Central Government in MNREGA, the expenditure incurred on semi-skilled workers (MAT) is considered in the category of material. 75 percent of the material expenditure is borne by the central government and 25 percent by the Rajasthan government.
• The wage rate of unskilled labour is notified by the Central Government every year for each State. The entire amount of payment of unskilled labour is borne by the Central Government under the labour head.
• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is being operated by the Rajasthan Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.
• Linked to rural households who do not have adequate means of employment in their own village and promotes inclusive growth, the programme is more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Scheme in common parlance.
• The Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Act came into force from 2nd February, 2006 and was implemented in a phased manner. In the first phase, it was implemented in six districts of the state namely Banswara, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Karauli, Sirohi and Udaipur.
• In the second phase, from the year 2007-08, it was implemented in 6 other districts of the state namely Barmer, Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Tonk and Sawai Madhopur. As a third and final phase, it was implemented in all the remaining districts of the state.

Rajasthan Export Promotion Council Constituted

Why In News?

On September 3, 2022, the Rajasthan Export Promotion Council was formed to monitor the export related issues of the industries of Rajasthan and to remove the problems related to them.

Key Points

• Rajiv Arora, chairman of Rajasthan Export Promotion Council (RAJSICO), was elected as the first unopposed chairman of the council. Mahavir Prasad Sharma has been made vice-chairman and Anil Kumar Bakshi, Sanjeev Agarwal, Anil Agarwal, Ravi Poddar and SN Modani as directors. The council has 21 founding members, seven directors, a vice-chairman and a chairman.
• Chairman Rajiv Arora said in the first meeting of the council that the basic objective of the council is to increase exports in the state. Due to the smooth industrial policies of the state government, exports have seen an increase of about 37 percent in the last 4 years and there has been a quantum jump in exports. The first goal is to add more members to the Council, so that from the smallest producer to the largest exporter can benefit from it.
• He said that every problem of exporters will be removed through the council. All types of cases will be handled by the council at its level and will talk to whichever affected company is there and dispose of the cases. The intention of the council is to promote the products of all the industries of the state for export, so that no area remains incomplete.
• Industries Commissioner Mahendra Kumar Parakh said that a council has been formed for industrial and export development in the state. Handicrafts, gems and jewellery, textiles, agro products and engineering products will be promoted in the initial stages in the council.