The Government has decided to train 10,000 young “barefoot” technicians in the basic concepts of civil engineering and involve them in planning, doing layout, measuring and supervising MGNREGA works in 2,500 most backward blocks across India. A Barefoot Technician is an educated person, identified from the local SC/ST MGNREGA worker households and specially trained in civil engineering concepts, using the customized training modules. Union Minister for Rural Development Mr Birender Singh said that better training and skills development will not only contribute to creation of durable and good quality works but also more sustainable maintenance of assets. It will also provide employment and will give horizontal and vertical mobility to these young women and men especially to those from vulnerable sections of society.

Similarly, to improve maintenance of the large PMGSY rural roads network (4,50,000 kilometers of PMGSY roads have been constructed across the country since the inception of PMGSY in December 2000), the training manuals for field engineers and contractors have already been used in the training of more than 6,000 engineers and contractors across the country in the last 4 months. Mr Singh renewed the Government’s commitment to eliminating poverty by empowering the rural poor with initiatives for inclusion and empowerment while ensuring quality and sustainability of assets.