Govt provides Rs 2bn for PMEP

Kathmandu, February 16

The government has released Rs two billion in conditional grant to various local levels for effective implementation of Prime Minister Employment Programme (PMEP).

The amount was released by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) for the purpose of providing employment to those enrolled as jobless at the 623 local level employment service centres.

Suman Ghimire, spokesperson for MoLESS, informed that the amount is a conditional grant for the purpose of carrying out payment-based community projects. Out of the total amount of Rs 2.20 billion allocated by the government, Rs two billion has been transferred to the 623 local levels with full details of the project. However, rest of local levels have been unable to fulfil the preconditions to receive the conditional grant.

Ghimire said that the conditional grant in the range of Rs one million to Rs 7.5 million has been distributed based on the list of selected projects and the number of unemployed people registered at the local levels.

“A budget of Rs 4.82 billion has been allocated in the current fiscal year for the programme,” he said, adding, “Out of this, Rs 2.62 billion was the loan assistance from the World Bank.”

The remaining resources for the programme will be managed through the government’s own budget.

Owing to some delay in the process of obtaining loan from World Bank, the government has released Rs two billion from its treasury.

Following allegations that the funds were misused during the implementation of the programme last year, the ministry has warned the local levels to spend the allocated budget by adhering to the stipulated conditions, as per Ghimire.

According to the ministry, the projects should be carried out only after entering the complete details of all the unemployed persons at the local levels into the employment information management system.

Likewise, the unemployed people who are enlisted will have to be assigned to the project to ensure minimum employment of 100 days in a year. While providing jobs to unemployed persons, the local level authorities should verify the employment status of such persons as per the guidelines prepared by the ministry.

Minister for Labour, Employment and Security Rameshwar Raya Yadav had vowed that the government would provide jobs to 60,000 youths under PMEP this fiscal.

However, the project is yet to take off this fiscal year.