Centre increases allocation under MGNREGA to Karnataka by 49%

The state has got Rs 2,133 cr for 2013-14 under the scheme

Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh on Friday announced a bumper for Karnataka on his maiden visit to the state after Congress took over the reins a month ago. The minister has announced 49 per cent rise in allocation to Karnataka under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at Rs 2,133 crore for 2013-14.

The state had got Rs 1,440 crore in 2012-13, about 12 per cent lower than the previous years allocation of Rs 1,640 crore. The Centre had cut the allocation last year following the poor implementation of the rural jobs scheme, Ramesh said.

While sanctioning higher allocation for the current fiscal, the minister has cautioned the new government that it would withholding the installment if the state government does not deliver in implementing the central schemes.

If this government does change the MGNREGA and Indira Awas Yojana, the way they have been implemented, then I will not hesitate to do the same thing to what I had done to the previous (BJP) government. There is no politics in it, he told reporters here when he was asked whether he agreed to promise grants because of the Congress rule.

Earlier, Ramesh reviewed the progress of implementation of several schemes under the rural development and panchayat raj department of the state government which require Central funding. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, rural development and panchayat raj minister H K Patil, several state and central government officials were present.

Over Rs 1,100 crore is available with the state for taking up works under the job scheme. No more funds would be released till December, he said.

An independent Social Audit Directorate would be set up to audit expenditure incurred by rural local bodies under the scheme, he said.

Ramesh said, under the scheme, small and marginal farmers would be asked to take up more works such as land levelling, irrigation, improving soil and productivity of lands. There were demands to include construction of shelters for sheep, graveyards, anganawadi centres and public toilets among others under the scheme.

We are constantly reviewing and considering demands based on merit, Ramesh said.

In order to set right irregularities and ensure timely payment of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the state has decided to open separate accounts in banks in the name of all women wage earners.

Till now accounts were opened in the name of households. Individual accounts of women would be opened in all districts to ensure timely payment of wages. Wages in Karnataka fixed at Rs 174 per day in 2013-14. Nearly 46 per cent of daily wage earners under the scheme were women in the state.

The decision was taken at the review meeting.

Handing out a sanction letter of Rs 774.50 crore to Siddaramaiah, the first installment for the present fiscal, for implementation of the MGNREGA in 2013-14 in the state, Ramesh said, We are not happy with the manner in which the MGNREGA was implemented for the last 4-5 years in Karnataka.

Large scale diversion of funds, irregularities and incomplete works were part of the scheme, he said.

The CAG report too reported huge irregularities in the execution of the job scheme, he added.