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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NREGS: State told to frame fund utilisation policy

NREGS: State told to frame fund utilisation policy

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published Published on Oct 12, 2010   modified Modified on Oct 12, 2010

While promising to release a sum of Rs 500 crore to keep the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) running in West Bengal at the earliest, the team from the Union rural development ministry that met the state panchayat minister today forced the state to frame a policy before disbursing further allotment to the districts under the scheme.

The Central team, led by its joint secretary, Mrs Amita Sharma, today urged the state panchayat minister, Mr Anisur Rahman, not to release fresh allotment to the districts which have failed to utilise at least 60 per cent of the funds alloted previously. The minister agreed to frame a policy in this regard.

Mr Rahman said: “The Centre has a policy in this regard. States which fail to utilise 60 per cent of the previous allotment are not given any fresh allotment. The team urged us to set up a similar policy otherwise a lumpsum amount of the funds under the scheme will remain unutilised at the end of the financial year. Last year, a sum of Rs 25,000 crore was spent across the country but a sum of Rs 12,000 crore remained unutilised. In Bengal the unspent amount was only Rs 387 crore while a sum of Rs 2,100 crore was spent in the last financial year.”

Mr Rahman said though they were refusing to frame such a policy due to political reasons, now they would hold a meeting soon to frame it as per the Centre's instruction.

“We were refusing to frame a policy like this because the Opposition zilla parishads have failed to utilise funds under the scheme properly along with two-three other districts. If we stop giving money to districts like South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, Malda and North Dinajpur, it would be alleged that these districts were not given money only because they are run by the Opposition. But now we don't have any other option as the Centre is repeatedly instructing us to take a step in this regard,” added Mr Rahman.

However, the members of the Central team said they have convinced the minister that the state is getting enough money under the scheme. But Mr Rahman said they have only received a sum of Rs 983 crore from the Centre so far while they need a total of about Rs 3,300 crore.

The state government would also revise its labour budget under the scheme. Earlier, the state had projected that a sum of Rs 2,500 crore could be spent, now as a sum of Rs 1,122 crore has already been spent in this financial year, the state would require a total of Rs 3,500 crore under the scheme.

However, during the meeting, issues like giving additional wages, introducing photo job cards and proper maintenance of muster roll were discussed. The minister said if they have some faults, they would be rectified at the earliest.    


The Statesman, 5 October, 2010, http://thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=343909&catid=42


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