Minister for Rural development and NREGS Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad on Thursday stated that the State Government has spent Rs 3,375 crores, the highest amount in the country, towards implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Talking to media persons at the State Secretariat during the Prajahitham programme, the Minister said that Rs 22,512 crore expenditure has incurred since the inception of NREGS benefiting 93 lakh households. He said that 179 crore mandays were provided to rural households with an average wage rate of Rs 93 amounting to total Rs 16,736 crores wages.
Stating that 1.89 crore labourers accessed NREGS at least once, he said 34 lakh acres of fallow and cultivable land belonging to SC, ST, and SM farmers was taken up for comprehensive land development. He said 18,161 minor irrigation tanks were taken up stabilising an ayacut of 8.5 lakh acres. Rural connectivity was taken up to the extent of 25048 kms with an expenditure of Rs 1825 crores, he said.
The minister said that the scheme was implemented transparently without giving any room for suspicion by adopting biometric payment, social audit system and through vigilance wing. To ensure sustainable and comprehensive development of land, he said that the government proposes to implement Indira Jala Prabha, a project to provide irrigation, under the NREGS. He said that 10 lakh acres of land of poorest of poor households of SCs and STs would be brought under the scheme. Apart from this, the government has decided to construct 40 lakh toilets in the villages as part of maintaining healthy sanitary conditions.
Admitting that Rs 19.8 crore has been misappropriated in the scheme, he said however, 162 cases have been registered and 789 officials have been suspended under various charges.
The minister said that a research agency CRISIL has reported the purchasing power of villagers and nutrition levels has increased with implementation of NREGS in rural areas.
–Agencies