Andhra Pradesh wants agriculture linked to MNREGA

Hyderabad: The AP state government has decided to write a letter to the Centre on linking Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) works with agriculture works. The state government has asked its agriculture and rural development department officials to prepare a report along with guidelines to be sent to the Centre. In fact, the Centre had itself proposed some changes in the MGNREGA and its modalities.

AP finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, panchayat raj and rural development minister Ch. Ayyannapatrudu and agriculture minister Prattipati Pulla Rao held a meeting on Thursday with agriculture and rural development department officials in the Assembly committee hall. If the agriculture works are linked to NREGA works, farmers will get benefit to the tune of Rs 6,000 per acre. If a small farmer has three acres, he will benefit Rs 18,000 and it will give relief to small farmers, ministers opined.