Andhra to spend Rs 5,500 cr under NREGA this year

Andhra Pradesh government will spend Rs 5,500 crore this year under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme to provide work to about 75 lakh families.     

Works such as repair and restoration of irrigation canals, drains and drinking water tanks have been undertaken under the scheme so that workers in Delta regions of the state can get the benefit, state Rural Development Minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar said.     

He said a proposal has been submitted to the Central government to enhance the daily wage of workers under NREGA from Rs 80 to Rs 125.

"The Centre is considering our request. In the meantime we have hiked the daily wage to Rs 100 this year," the Minister told a press conference.     

Kumar said works worth Rs 6,131 crore have been completed in last three years. "We have instructed the district authorities to implement the NREGA scheme more effectively so that all eligible people secured work for 100 days in a year," he said.     

Panchayat Raj Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said co-ordinated efforts were required to prevent migration of workers from rural areas.     

He said both the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Departments would be re-organised for effective functioning. All eligible staff would be promoted as part of the exercise, Satyanarayana said.