NREGA renaming Bill in Parliament's winter session

A Bill to rechristen NREGA as Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act will be moved in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, a top official said on Tuesday.

"Yes, we will move the Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament," a rural development ministry official said.

On October 1, Union Cabinet cleared the proposal of the rural development ministry for naming National Rural Employment Guarantee Act after Mahatma Gandhi.

An announcement in this regard was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the following day on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

The decision to rename NREGA came amid reports that several opposition-ruled states have been claiming credit of the central scheme to derive political mileage.

However, while announcing the Cabinet decision, Singh had said, "This is just a small effort from our side to offer him (Mahatma Gandhi) tribute by naming the rural employment guarantee Act after his name."

Launched by the United Progressive Alliance government in 2005 during its first tenure, NREGA guarantees 100-day employment to rural adults.

The programme, aimed at alleviating poverty in rural areas, was initially launched in 200 districts and later extended to cover the entire country.