Govt to allocate additional Rs 40,000 crore under MGNREGS: Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced that the Centre has allocated an additional amount of Rs 40 thousand crores under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

"The government will now allocate an additional Rs 40 thousand crores in the MGNREGS. It will address the need for more work including returning migrant workers during monsoon season," Sitharaman said while announcing the last tranche of the economic package announced by the government.

She said that the fifth and the final tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package will focus on seven main points.

"Today, I have seven such steps to tell you and the order in which they will be, are the MGNREGA, Health (rural and urban) and education-related steps, businesses and COVID, decriminalisation of the Compes Act, Ease of Doing Business and related matters, Public Sector Enterprises policies and matters, state government and related resources," the Minister said.

The announcements came after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package for the country to become 'self-reliant' and deal with COVID-19 crisis.

Sitharaman had on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and will do infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore.

Earlier on Friday, Sitharaman announced Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund for farm gate infrastructure for farmers and Rs 10,000 crore scheme for the formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (MFEs) under the stimulus package.

On Thursday, the Finance Minister announced the 'One Nation One Ration Card', free food grain supply to migrants and creation of affordable rental housing complexes (ARHC) in urban areas for migrant workers and poor under the COVID-19 stimulus package.

( With inputs from ANI )