High Demand for NREGS Funds for Development Works in Gram Panchayats
Adilabad: The demand is huge for NREGS funds. Congress leaders are competing among themselves to get these funds alongside local MLAs to take up development works, especially erection of CC roads in their respective areas from Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka.
The central government is giving these funds to states under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Works on CC roads and drainages are being taken up with this fund in gram panchayats. The state government allocates this fund to GPs. Even BJP and BRS MLAs are also lobbying for more NREGS funds for areas under their assembly constituencies.
There is a huge demand for NREGS funds since gram panchayats faced a shortage of funds in the past. Some sarpanches have resigned from their posts since their bills for the development works were pending for a long time.
The state government, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is keen on taking up development works related to basic amenities in villages.
In the first phase, funds ranging from Rs 8 crore to Rs 10 crore are given to each assembly constituency.
Seethakka has made it clear that she will focus on development by keeping politics aside and even involving opposition parties MLAs and leaders in the development of the erstwhile Adilabad district.
The Utnoor MPP Pandra Jayawanth Rao of BRS said Rs 3.90 crore of NREGS funds were given to lay CC roads in Utnoor mandal and Feb 29, the deadline for completion of laying CC roads with NREGS funds.
A sum of Rs 8 crore has been sanctioned for the works under NREGS in Utnoor, Indravelli and Sirikonda. February 2 was the last date for Sarpanches’ tenure and special officials are looking after the activities in the Gram Panchayats. July 4 is the last date for MPTC and ZPTCs tenure.
Works of `8 crore under NREGS were sanctioned to the Adilabad assembly constituency. News is that works of `5 crore were sanctioned for CC road works as per proposals submitted by BJP MLA Payal Shankar, while works of `3 crore were sanctioned based on proposals from defeated Congress candidate Kandi Srinivas Reddy.
However, BRS and BJP MLAs are raising objections to the starting of road works by defeated Congress candidates, who are breaking coconuts in the assembly constituencies represented by BRS and BJP MLAs. One such incident recently took place in Boath.