Bengaluru, Aug. 8 -- Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to organise "Job Card Melas" across the state within a week to provide employment to eligible beneficiaries under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Scheme, the restructured version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.

In a written instruction to the department secretary, Khandre said inactive job cards had been cancelled but stressed that adequate care must be taken to ensure poor rural families are not unjustly denied benefits.

He directed officials to hold Job Card Melas within a week across all 5,927 Gram Panchayats and issue job cards...