New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Union Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi Thursday said that efforts are being made to increase agricultural productivity through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Addressing a two-day national conference of project directors of District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) here, Joshi said that NREGA rules have been amended to include work on land belonging to small and marginal farmers under the scheme.

He said efforts are being made to 'increase agricultural productivity through NREGS.'

The minister also said that the cabinet has approved implementation of Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Area (PURA) on pilot basis with an outlay of Rs.248 crore.

He said the fund will be used to provide capital grant for upto 35 per cent of the project to meet the viability gap of provision for operations and maintenance in public private partnership mode after dovetailing funds from other central schemes and investment from private developers.

'The PURA project will provide a model to boost the concept of corporate social responsibility,' Joshi said.