Maligaon December 12 (MExN): Taking forward the joint decision of the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Railways for utilising the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA) for undertaking certain works for Railways, NF Railway has started work of widening of railway embankment in Kishanganj area of Katihar Division under MNREGA. The work is being done under estimates sanctioned by the District Magistrate of Kishanganj district of Bihar & Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. A press release from Pranav Jyoti Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer stated that in Kishanganj district of Bihar, the proposal of embankment repair was sanctioned for 5.7 km of railway track having an approximate cost of Rs 13.4 lakhs. Accordingly work started in Pothia block of Kusiyari panchayat in Mangurjan - Aluabari Road block section in UP line under the joint supervision of program officer Pothia block and Sr. Asst Divisional Engineer, Kishanganj. About 500 m of cess repairs has been completed and work is under progress in other areas, added the release. Similarly, District Magistrate of Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal had also sanctioned supplementary estimate of embankment repair for 8.3 km of railway track having an approximate cost of 21.5 lakhs against MNREGA scheme. And accordingly work started in Islampur block, of Gaisal panchayat. About 20 laborers are working on regular basis and being provided with job card against MNREGA scheme. MNREGA is a scheme under Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. It is designed to provide a minimum job guarantee of 100 days in each financial year for doing any non-skilled work to any adult who register for rural employment. This joint initiative of NF Railway and state government of Bihar and West Bengal will be helpful for the rural employment generation. Also repair and upkeep of railway assets will be done at no additional cost to railways. Types of works proposed through MNREGA include - construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossing, developing and cleaning silted waterways, trenches and drains along tracks, construction and maintenance of approach roads to railway stations, repairs to earthwork to the existing railway embankments/cuttings, clearing vegetation growth and activity of plantation at extreme boundary of railway land.