Bhopal, Mar 29: National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) would be implemented in all the 48 districts of Madhya Pradesh from April 1. Preparations for this have been completed at the district level. As many as 41 lakh job cards are being prepared for these districts. At present the scheme is being implemented in 31 districts in the state. Madhya Pradesh stands first in best and excellent implementation of the scheme in the country and has become a 'Model State' for other states.

Giving this information, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rustam Singh said that from April 1, this scheme would be implemented in Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Sagar, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur, Indore, Vidisha, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Jabalpur and Narsinghpur districts. Eighteen districts - Jhabua, Mandla, Umaria, Shahdol, Badwani, Khargone, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Tikamgarh, Balaghat, Chhatarpur, Betul, Khandwa, Sheopur, Dhar, Seoni, Satna and Dindori were covered in the first phase of the scheme launched on February 2, 2006. Under the second phase, 13 more districts - Guna, Ashok Nagar, Rajgarh, Datia, Rewa, Panna, Damoh, Katni, Chhindwara, Anuppur, Burhanpur, Harda and Dewas were included in the scheme.

Rustam Singh said that in the year 2008-09 in all the 48 districts guarantee of employment up to 100 days in a year would be provided on demand. The employment seeking Job Card holders would be provided job within 15 days after raising the demand. If this could not be done, the job seeker would be provided unemployment allowance. The allowance amount would be given by the state government. Under this scheme, facilities of free treatment and compensation are also given if a labourer meets with accident at the workplace. The maximum limit of the compensation is Rs 25000. Use of machines and contractor system is prohibited under the scheme and only labour-oriented works are undertaken.

Singh said that unprecedented developmental works are being undertaken under the scheme. With a view to ensuring extensive implementation of Employment Guarantee Act, the state government has introduced such novel programmes as Nandan Phalodyan, Sahastra Dhara, Kapil Dhara, Nirmal Neer and Shailparn. Basic works for rural development are being conducted with a rapid pace. Eighty percent of these works are getting done through Panchayats.