Shimla: Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has requested the Union government to release the remaining central share of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act at the earliest.
The Chief Minister said that Government of India had approved Rs 761.71 crore labour budget to the State for the year 2014-15 under MGNREGA which included central share of Rs 670.71 crore.
The requirement of the state was pegged at Rs 740.58 crore but the Centre had so far released only Rs 355.43 crore, he said and requested the Prime Minister Narender Modi to release the remaining amount at the earliest.
The Chief Minister said that Union Rural Development ministry had approved labour budget projection for the current financial year at 276.80 lakh man-days and it was matter of concern that as per the revised allocation of funds indicated by the ministry during the performance review committee meeting held on 18th and 19th September, 2014, that the allocation of central share to the state had been reduced to Rs. 355.43 crore.
Singh said the State Government was implementing MGNREGA in an effective manner and during the last financial year the State spent Rs 571.22 crore under the scheme by generating 282.47 lakhs man-days against the approved labour budget of Rs 273.19 lakh man-day's.
The State had achieved 103 per cent of the labour budget projection during last financial year with sufficient availability of funds provided by the Union Government under the Scheme.
In a communication to the PM, Singh expressed his concern about the non-availability of funds to the state under the scheme and requested him to issue necessary directions to the concerned Ministry for releasing the state's share at the earliest.
