NREGA works show big decline

Completed works under UPA government's flagship welfare scheme NREGA are seeing a big fall and the numbers of projects completed in some states have come down drastically, government told the Lok Sabha today.

Figures submitted by Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' showed that against a total of 27,55,734 works completed in 2011-12 the figure for 2012-13 was 20,44,649, a fall of more than 25 percent.

The corresponding figure in the current financial year till August 12 was merely 2,81,379, meaning that in four and half months the number of works completed under MNREGA were only 13 percent of last year's.

Jain tabled the report in reply to a question seeking the details of assets created under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during the last three years and current year state/UT-wise.

The total completed works in 2010-11 were 25,90,422. Andhra Pradesh, which had been a leading state in NREGA works, has achieved only one completed work this year till Aug 12. It had registered a total of 1,88,392 and 5,32,794 finished works in 2012-13 and 2011-12 respectively.

The big and largely-poor state of Uttar Pradesh had notched up 8,43,545 completed works in 2011-12. It tumbled to 2,88,405 in 2012-13 and 37,848 during the current year.

West Bengal reported the maximum number, 62,195, of completed works this year.

Smaller states and Union Territories, including Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have not reported any completed work this year.

They had reported 19, 254, seven and 3355 completed works respectively last year.