(Pervez Bari) The Bharatiya Janata Party ruled Madhya Pradesh has been placed at the third place in the country in respect of expenditure of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes during the year 2011-12.
Madhya Pradesh is ahead of Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Bihar in respect of expenditure under the scheme.
During the period, Rs.3,520 crore have been spent on employment-oriented schemes and 1797 lakh mandays have been provided in the state. Employment worth 100 days has been provided to 2.44 lakh rural families during the period.
According to Madhya Pradesh Panchayat, Rural Development and Social Justice Minister Mr. Gopal Bhargava large-scale beneficiary-oriented and public utility works have been undertaken under sub-plans of MNREGA in the state’s rural areas. During the year 2011-12, two lakh 30 thousand 178 construction works have been accomplished under Kapil Dhara sub-plan, 24 thousand 144 works under Nirmal Neer sub-plan, 1,121 works under Grameen Kreerangan sub-plan, 4,939 works under Vanvasi Samvardhan sub-plan, three lakh 48 thousand 402 works under Bhumi Shilp sub-plan, one lakh 23 thousand 991 works under Nirmal Vatika sub-plan, 1,323 works of internal roads under Panch Parmeshwar Yojna and 437 construction works have been completed under Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak sub-plan.
Under Kapil Dhara sub plan, additional irrigation potential of 3.45 lakh hectares has been created. Three lakh 80 thousand wells were sanctioned under this sub-plan. Out of these, two lakh 30 thousand wells have been completed and helped increase income of two lakh 30 thousand families besides establishment of self-employment. Under Nandan Phalodyan sub-plan, 32 thousand 570 farmers have been benefited. Twenty-four thousand 144 wells have been dug under Nirmal Koop scheme. Works under Nirmal Vatika sub-plant have helped make environment clean in the rural areas. Works of plantation and leech pit have benefitted one lakh 44 thousand families. Development works were taken up in nine lakh 62 thousand hectare watershed area and two lakh 35 thousand hectare area has been treated so far. Construction of 16 thousand 449 internal roads is under progress under Panch Parmeshwar Yojna.
Under MNREGA, decision has been taken to appoint Village Employment Assistants in every Gram Panchayat. Laptops and computers are also being made available to these Village Employment Assistants. These arrangements will facilitate in controlling MNREGA works and smooth operation of budget system. A campaign has been launched to complete all the incomplete wells sanctioned under Kapil Dhara Yojna before 2011-12. (pervezbari@eth.net)