NEW DELHI, July 31 (TIWN): The government on Wednesday announced that the labour expenditure ratio would be changed from 60:40% to 40:51%. Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the government will use space technology to monitor the work being done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and provide wages to labourers directly through e-governance tools such as electronic fund management system.

Replying to a short-duration discussion on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari raised the issue of irregularities in the national programme and said the use of the technology will help in keeping a check on delay in payments to workers also. He also proposes to change the material-wage ratio of the scheme from 60:40 to 49:51 with a view to encouraging value addition.

He informed that the government will setup a monitoring centre in Delhi to keep a close watch on all the activities related to MGNREGA. He said strict action will be taken against those found involved in irregularities. Gadkari said for transferring the wages of the workers in a transparent manner, an Electronic Fund Management System is under consideration.

"We want to increase the potential of value addition of the MNREGA scheme," Gadkari said, adding the ratio would now be decided at the district level instead of village level. He felt the scheme can also be used for conserving river water 60 per cent of which go into the sea. This move, he added, could help solve the problem of drinking water in the country.