Cong slams Chhattisgarh govt over 'poor' implementation of MGNREGA

According to Congress, Chhattisgarh is at the 21st position among 29 states in generating employment under MGNREGA

Attacking the ruling BJP over "poor" implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Chhattisgarh, Congress today accused the Raman Singh government of failing to generate employment and make proper payments under the scheme.

"The condition of MGNREGA 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 MGNREGA.

According to the report, only 17% 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 MGNREGA but the Centre's annual report has unfolded the surprising facts which say only an average 32.1% days of employment were being provided in Chhattisgarh," he said.

"In Chhattisgarh, there are around 1.13 crore MGNREGA 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 MGNREGA.

"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.