New Delhi: A Parliamentary committee has recommended a legislation to guarantee employment to urban poor, especially those from SCs and STs, in the same way as NREGA ensures work for rural poor.

The committee has also recommended amendments in NREGA to guarantee 150 days of employment for SCs/STs households instead of existing 100 days.

"The Centre must take necessary steps to amends the Act to make it more beneficial for SCs and STs with a view to ensure that benefits under it must reach them directly," it said.

The Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in its report on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) with particular reference to SCs and STs has asked the government to ensure that funds meant for various welfare schemes for both communities are not diverted and are utilized on the allocated works only.

The committee has recommended that separate allocations should be made for SCs/STs in the annual budget plan for MNREGA.

The committee headed by MP Gobinda Chandra Naskar has in its report also recommended that local vigilance and monitoring committee should have SCs/STs representatives and community members should also be appointed in Central Employment Guarantee Council and State Employment Guarantee Council.

It has also desired that an assessment committee be constituted to know the reasons why the numbers of beneficiaries from these communities have decreased in various states.

"We feel that there may be compelling reasons as to why people are not demanding work even when the job cards have been issues... We desire that the department has to analyze the reasons state-wise for families not demanding work after getting their job cards," it said.

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