Congress slams Chhattisgarh government over 'poor' implementation of MNREGA

RAIPUR:Attacking the ruling BJP over "poor" implementation of MNREGA in Chhattisgarh, Congress today accused the Raman Singh government of failing to generate employment and make proper payments under the scheme.

"The condition of MNREGA is very poor in the state. Labourers are neither getting any jobs nor proper payments under the scheme," Chattisgarh Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said citing recently released Centre's annual report on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

According to the report, only 17 per cent labourers are getting wages within 15 days (of competition of works) in Chhattisgarh.

"The state government had earlier claimed that they have been providing 200 days of employment under MNREGA but the Centre's annual report has unfolded the surprising facts which say only an average 32.1 per cent days of employment were being provided in Chhattisgarh," he said.

"In Chhattisgarh, there are around 1.13 crore MNREGA job card holders while the (state) government in their hoardings have claimed to ensured jobs to 3.18 lakh families under the scheme. Figure of card holders (who) got jobs under the scheme is very low against the total number of card holders," he said.

According to Trivedi, Chhattisgarh is at the 21st position among 29 states in the tally of generating employment under MNREGA.

"The condition of payment is also poor in the state as the labourers had to wait for months to get their wages. The state is yet to get Rs 300 crore from the Centre to clear the pending payments of labourers", he claimed.