'HP to get 76 pc higher budgetary allocation under MGNREGA'

Himachal Pradesh would get Rs 717.02 crore under MGNREGA in fiscal 2015-16, which is 76 per cent more than the current allocation, Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma today said.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, Sharma said that Rs 717.02 crore would be provided for payment of wages under the centrally-sponsored scheme for the year 2015-16.
"The empowered committee of the Rural Development Ministry, in its meeting held in Delhi on March 20, has approved labour budget of 251.81 lakh man-days for 2015-16 for Himachal Pradesh and the monetary value of this labour budget is working out at Rs 692.33 crore, out of which the Centre's share would be Rs 627.02 crore," he said.

"Besides its share of Rs 627.02 crore, the Centre has agreed to provide an additional Rs 90 crore to liquidate the liabilities likely to be created during the financial year and the amount would be spent on providing hiked wages at the rate of Rs 154 for non-tribal areas and Rs 192 for the tribal areas which will come into effect from April 1, 2015," he said.
Sharma said during 2013-14, labour budget of Rs 671.69 crore was approved by the Centre, out of which Rs 551.48 crore was the central share and Rs 477.97 crore has been released.
For 2014-15, labour budget of Rs 670.71 crore had been approved with central share being Rs 670.71 crore, but it was later reduced to Rs 355.43 crore, he said.