New Delhi, Feb. 1: The Centre today proposed its highest ever budget allocation for the rural job guarantee scheme but critics rued that the increase was just Rs 500 crore over the revised allocation last year. Social activists, however, highlighted that the finance ministry had sanctioned an additional Rs 9,000 crore for the scheme in the revised budget last year after a surge in demand. The scheme guarantees every rural household up to 100 days' paid, unskilled work in a year. The Centre's own data show total wage arrears of Rs 3,469 crore under the scheme. The current government has been critical about the job guarantee scheme.

Source: The Telegraph February 01, 2017 22:17 UTC