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200 cr. sought for job scheme

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the Centre to immediately release funds to the tune of Rs. 200 crores for proper implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the State.

Mr. Patnaik took up the demand during his meeting with Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in New Delhi on Thursday. Several districts in the State were facing serious shortage of funds for implementation of the NREGS at present, Mr. Patnaik said. The funds should be released without delay as the current financial year was coming to a close. The Chief Minister also urged the Union Minister to extend NREGS to the remaining districts in the State. At present, 24 districts out of the total 30 districts in the State are being covered under the scheme.

According to an official release, Dr. Singh assured that there would not be any shortage of funds for the State under NREGS and the scheme would be extended to all the districts from next month.

Mr. Patnaik also urged Dr. Singh to accept the State government’s suggestion for fixing the number of rural BPL (below poverty line) households in the State at 44 lakhs. Dr. Singh, however, said that the issue should be resolved in consultation with the Planning Commission.

Mr. Patnaik further requested that the State government be allowed to continue with the selection of beneficiaries under various anti-poverty and rural development programmes on the basis of the prevailing BPL list till the new BPL list was finalised. Dr. Singh agreed to consider the proposal favourably.

The Chief Minister also met Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni during the day and discussed about various tourism projects of the State.

Mr. Patnaik demanded early sanction of Rs.50 crores for development of tourism infrastructure and facilities in the famous tourism circuit of Bhubaneswar-Konark-Puri-Chilika under the Mega Circuit Scheme.

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