Bengaluru, 8 August

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to organise “Job Card Melas” across the state within a week to provide employment under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Scheme.

He said inactive job cards had been cancelled but care must be taken to ensure poor rural families are not denied benefits.

He directed officials to hold Job Card Melas within a week in all 5,927 panchayats and issue job cards immediately to all eligible rural families.

He said the exercise should cover SCs, STs, minorities, the disabled, women-headed households and landless labourers.

Rs 2,900 crore has been allocated under VB-G RAM G. Of this, Rs 1,700 crore, that is, 60 per cent, is from the Centre and Rs 1,200 crore from the state.

He said Rs 1,000 crore had already been released to all Gram Panchayats in the state.

He said the government had taken serious note of reports that VB-G RAM G implementation was unsatisfactory in some panchayats.