The stage is set for universalising the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and extending it to all the 596 rural districts in the country from April 1. AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday led the Congress MPs' delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the ways and means of plugging the loopholes in the implementation of the NREGA. It assumes significance in the run-up to the next parliamentary elections as the government is projecting it as a major achievement. Union rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the NREGA has ushered in a new hope for millions of rural folk. While agreeing to the possibility of irregularities and misappropriation of funds in the implementation of different rural development schemes, Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said it is the need of hour to become a vigilant and transparent for the success of schemes. The interpretation and implementation of the NREGA in letter and spirit is the real challenge before the agencies involved in this process. Giving a brief account of the schemes currently under operation, he said in order to boost the economic well-being of the rural pockets five points were essential, awareness generation, people's participation, transparency, strict vigilance and monitoring. These should be kept in mind. It is high time that sincere efforts should be made for the sole purpose of uplifting rural India and how to increase there economic well-being should be the core of the policies. The NREGA is heading for a success, despite all odds and most of the work under this scheme pertain to the recharge of water bodies and waterharvesting. So far, 3.06 crore households have been given job and 1.20 crore mandays were created during the current finical year so far.