The Indian government is holding a conference to mark the fourth anniversary of an innovative employment scheme.

The Ministry of Rural Development has organized an event to highlight the achievements of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which offers poor households at least 100 days of work every year.

The scheme has now been implemented across all 621 districts of India - with particular attention paid to the labor markets in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.

Specifically, the conference will aim to facilitate the exchange of information among various stake holders of the scheme and provide an opportunity for participants to learn best practices.

Earlier this month, India's finance minister in his Budget Speech for 2010 disclosed that labor market members involved in the NREGA will now be entitled to receive a real wage of Rs100 per day.

This alteration in pay will be introduced from April and is intended to increase the number of workers with bank or post office accounts.