'MGNREGA allocation to state should not be cut'

Congress government in Karnataka today said any step to slash the state's allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by the Narendra Modi Government would be incorrect and it should be reconsidered if there was any such move.

"They have to reconsider this plan, if they have any intentions to do so," Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister H K Patil said commenting on reports that the funding for the scheme had been cut from Rs 3,150 crore to Rs 1,700 crore for 2014-15.

There has not been any official communication on slashing Karnataka's allocation, but there are indications at official level that the Modi government is planning to cut allocations to the states, Patil told reporters here.

Patil said that there is no better scheme and Act than MGNREGA for building the nation, as it not only gives jobs to the poor and working sections but also creates assets.

To a query, Patil said that the MGNREGA is a national programme, not a scheme launched by any political party. "It is a national programme. It is not one party's programme. There are so many programmes which were launched during the Vajpayee government - didn't we not continue them?" he asked.