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Central Govt slashes fund for J&K under MGNREGA 4/14/2015 11:11:29 PM Mir Farhat Early Times Report SRINAGAR, Apr 14: The central government has slashed funds to Jammu and Kashmir for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as the state has failed to spend the allotted money on development in the last financial year. Sources in the Rural Development Department said that the funds have been slashed by over 50 percent to each Block due to the failure in spending the funds meant for carrying out development in rural areas of the state. Sources said that last year each panchayat halqa were given four crore rupees, but the funds were not utilized fully as the targeted development was not achieved for the year. "This year only one crore rupees has been released for each halqa to carry out development," sources said. A central government funded scheme launched in 2007 by Congress-led UPA, MGNREGA is meant to provide manual work to jobless rural people. And as per the scheme, it is mandatory to provide 100 days of work to people, who hold a job card issued by the Rural Development Department. To implement the scheme in the state, the then government in 2008 constituted State Employment Guarantee Fund (SEGF) aimed for proper implementation of the Act. Sources said that the authorities have been censured by the centre for providing jobs to least number of people under the Act. Sources said that J&K has by the end of year 2014 provided work to only 27 percent card holders, while 73 percent could not avail the benefit from the Act. "In the last three years, only 27 lakh job cards were issued to the people. Of these card holders, only 61,000 people got100 days of employment that the Act guarantees," sources said. Around nine lakh jobs cards were issued in 2013, out of which 4, 92, 191 were provided employment and only 32,541 completed 100 days work. Besides poor utilization of funds, the scheme is not being run as per its norms, which state that no machinery should be used in the work. Although launched by its political rival, Congress, BJP government has decided to go ahead with the scheme across the states, including Jammu & Kashmir despite its poor performance. The central government recently said that it will continue releasing funds to the scheme but would want quality in the development works.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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