The Centre is planning to deploy drones to monitor the on-ground implementation of projects being taken up under the rural employment scheme, due to concerns over misuse of funds.

Likewise, the rural development ministry is said to hand out a proposal seeking the Union Cabinet's approval.

During the year’s budget speech, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 'Drone Shakti' project, to encourage startups to come up with varied applications for drones, including drones as a service.

The Centre is said to have allocated Rs.1,35,944.29 crore for the Department of Rural Development in 2022-23. More than half, or Rs.73,000 crore, of this is earmarked for MGNREGA.

According to reports, it plans to use drones across all schemes, including construction of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana and rural houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin and maintenance of rural roads.

Additionally, monitoring work using drones is expected to be extended to other rural schemes as well, based on the experience.

At present, a pilot project is reported to be running in Gujarat, monitoring the number of people working on the ground under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme vis-a-vis the wage payments made at the end of the job period.

Depending on the data from the pilot project, the rural development ministry is believed to prepare standard operating procedures to use drones for monitoring of its schemes, the official added. Moreover, it is said to lay out the guidelines for the procurement, storage, operation and maintenance of the devices.

Multiple instances are said to have shown the actual number of workers on the ground being much less than the reported wage bill was found out across several states, and effective monitoring will help curtail such irregularities.

Aside from digitizing land records, the agriculture ministry saw fit to use the drones for land surveys and spraying insecticides.