The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) was introduced in 2008 to answer rural unemployment. Now with COVID-19 hitting the country, the government is likely to drop the idea of the Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, sources told CNBC-TV18.

Sources added that the scheme may not be part of the next stimulus measures due to fiscal constraints. They further noted that the government will continue to focus on job creation via infra spending in Tier-II & III cities.

Rajiv Kumar, NITI Aayog VC, in an interview to CNBC-TV18, said that he wants to see short-gestation infra projects being pushed. Projects that enhance productivity should be supported, he added.

Meanwhile, the expenditure secretary said that he expects the government to spend the budgeted amount and additional Rs 25,000 crore allocated for infra, adding that he is confident of a pick-up in infra spending. Anshu Sharma has more details.

First Published:Oct 26, 2020 12:13 PM IST