Hyderabad, October 28: As assured by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to the State that the Centre would provide as much fund as it could from the Centrally- sponsored schemes, the State Government should get maximum funds from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, according to Chief Minister K Rosaiah.
Speaking at a review meeting with NREGS officials here today, the chief minister said that the State enjoyed a good reputation with the Centre with regard to implementation of the scheme and it should take advantage of it.
He wanted an increase in the number of families covered by the scheme and if 100 poorest of the poor persons were identified in every village, the number would reach 22 lakh.
By the end of March next year officials should achieve the target of brining 22 lakh persons under the scheme, he said and stressed the need for vigilance on the programme and on social auditing every six months. Rosaiah agreed to the proposal to create a vigilance wing in the NREGS.
Officials said that projects like land development, drainage line treatment, repair of drains and channels, irrigation facility, sustainable agriculture, restoration of minor irrigation sources, development of public institutions, drinking water tanks, road connectivity, afforestation, flood control, forest protection, common property resources, common property resource afforestation and horticulture were being taken up under the scheme.
Food security scheme was launched through Integrated Tribal Development Authority, Srisailam benefiting 80 per cent of the Chenchus. Rubber plantation will be taken up in 31,000 acres in Rampachodavaram and coffee plantation in one lakh acres at a cost of Rs 349 crore.
NREGS officials informed the chief minister that the forest department was allotted Rs 300 crore for these schemes and similar programmes were at an advanced stage with ITDA and minor irrigation departments.
Giving an account of the assets created through the scheme, the officials said that 13,947 tanks were repaired, 6.23 lakh acres of land was developed, earth bunding was taken up in 12.4 lakh acres, 1 lakh km of feeder channels repaired, horticulture was taken up in 3.30 lakh acres, 75,360 mini-percolation tanks were created and 4,893 km length of roads were repaired.
To strengthen the programme special arrangements were made in 2009-10 financial year.
About 18,491 muster verification officers and 3,684 measuring workers would be appointed, they said.
—Agencies