Cong behind non-payment of MNREGA funds: Gujarat minister

The Centre has refused to release funds to Gujarat under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) until the state government resolves certain complaints of Congress leaders, Rural Development Minister Jayanti Kavadia alleged in the Assembly today.
"The central government has written a letter to the state asking it to first resolve the complaints made by some Gujarat Congress leaders and only then it will release the funds to the state under MNREGA," said state Rural Development Minister Jayanti Kavadia, while replying to a query on the issue in the state Assembly.
In a written reply to a question asked by a Congress MLA from Bhiloda, Kavadia conceded that labourers working under MNREGA project in Meghraj taluka of Sabarkantha district, have not been paid their dues since December 2012.

"This is because the Union Government has refused to release the last instalment of the funds to the state," he said during Question Hour today.
He further alleged that the Centre has held back the funds on the complaints made by former Gujarat state Congress president Sidhharth Patel, Rajya Sabha Member Madhusudan Mistry and former state Congress in-charge B K Hariprasad.
In another reply, Minister of State for Education Vasuben Trivedi also criticised the Union Government over "non-payment of funds" for the implementation of Right To Education (RTE) Act in the state.