The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Government lax in implementing NREG scheme'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 10, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Government lax in implementing NREG scheme'

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: B.R. Patil, Janata Dal (S) MLA, and P. Kodandaramaiah, former MP, on Saturday accused the State Government of laxity in implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in five districts, though the Centre had released adequate funds for the purpose.

Addressing presspersons here, they said the scheme had been sanctioned for Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Davangere and Chitradurga districts. But there was no political will on the part of Government to implement the scheme effectively. Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj C.M. Udasi had not even conducted an official meeting to assess the implementation of the scheme, they said. The scheme was being implemented in 1,091 gram panchayat limits in the five districts.

But there were reports that people were not willing to take up work on account of the meagre daily wage of Rs. 69, Mr. Patil said. He demanded that the State Government increase the wage paid under the scheme. It would be difficult for panchayats to implement the scheme if wages were not revised.

Mr. Patil, who is associated with the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said jobs were being denied to the poor owing to the Government's slackness. The funds would lapse if the scheme was not implemented in time, Mr. Patil said. He suggested that the Government send an official team to study the execution of the scheme in Maharashtra.

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