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| NREGA needs further push in state | |
| BS Reporter / Mysore November 07, 2009, 0:26 IST | |
While Rajasthan (Rs 9,500 crore) followed by Andhra Pradesh (Rs 6,556 crore) and Assam (Rs 5,123 crore) are on top three position in utilising funds allocated by the Centre for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Karnataka has spent Rs 900 crore so far. The state needs to improve its performance, said M Lakshmana, immediate past chairman of the Institution of Engineers, Mysore Local Centre.
The NREGA Act 2005 provides enhancement of livelihood security by ensuring at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household and members who volunteer.
“But this 90 per cent centrally assisted pro-poor programme has come to suffer in our state for various reasons. An opportunity to ensure livelihood security of the poor is being wasted,” he moaned.
“The reason attributed is that response in districts like Bidar, Chitradurga, Davanagere and Gulbarga is poor as people are not willing to work for a meager wage. This may be true to certain extent where commercial crops are grown. But, it is difficult to believe that semi or unskilled people are not coming forth to eke out a living by working assured 100 days every year on an assured wage of Rs 119 a day in rural areas,” he said at a press meet.
Funds are available under the NREGA for several schemes under forest, irrigation, irrigated area development, agriculture, horticulture, and other sectors. While employment can be generated, rural development can take place in areas like water conservation, afforestation, repair of embankments and construction elephant barricades. Under NREGA, states can draw from the Centre’s outlay depending upon the progress of their projects and employment generated. The Centre provides 90 per cent of the cost of employment provided. The outlay was Rs 11,000 crore in 2006-2007 and has been upped to Rs 39,100 crore in 2009-2010 and covers all the 593 districts in India.
Under forest, funds are available for giving wages to farmers to watch their own lands from elephants and wild animals invading their fields and destroying crops.
Range forest officer Satish in Antharasanthe, the forest which has around 300 elephants, has taken interest to prevent wild animal and elephant menace by forming an ‘elephant watch squad’ comprising of farmers and tribals of the area by offering wages under NREGA. About 15 teams are keeping night watch in an area of 15 square kms. Consequently, destruction of crops by wild animals has come down considerably, Lakshmana said.
Making a visual presentation on the progress achieved in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, he said elected representative from MPs to gram panchayat presidents and officials were taking active interest in the implementation of NREGA. Mazdoor Kisan Shakthi Organisation has undertaken social auditing of the money spent and results achieved. Karnataka should emulate the example of these States and utilise the funds available from the Centre under the NREGA to maximum extent, he urged.
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