"It is easy to blame the Centre. We are in fact providing so much money for implementing NREGS that states won't be able to spend all of it," Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters here at a press conference.
He said Rs 3,600 crore has been approved by the Centre for UP for implementing NREGS out of which Rs 1,800 crore is being sent.
The minister maintained a diplomatic stance when asked whether Mayawati was levelling "false allegations" against the Centre.
"If somebody wants to politicise the issue, I can't comment on it. Most of the time I am asking states to spend the funds allocated to them for implementing the various schemes of the ministry," he said.
Singh said, with the implementation of NREGS in the entire country April 1 onwards, the government's next step is towards adopting "zero tolerance towards corruption in the implementation of NREGS".
"We have called upon state governments to conduct social audits and random checks at district and block levels to ensure transparency in implementation of NREGS," the minister said.
He added that several NGOs are also being included in this work to assist the state governments.
"Also to ensure zero tolerance in the implementation of NREGS, a meeting has also been called later this week of various institutions like IITs, IIMs, IGNOU and the experts on rural development. They would be asked to actively participate in the implementation of NREGS," Singh said.
He said the office of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has also been requested by the ministry to come out with "any discrepancy" in the implementation of NREGS.
CAG in its draft report earlier this year had reported irregularities in NREGS.
The minister said that the Centre is also trying to ensure an average of 42 per cent participation of women in the NREGS.
The Centre has also asked states to ensure payment of wages to workers through bank or post office accounts. So far, over 1.6 crore accounts have been opened. Singh said that the RBI and the postal department have full cooperation to the ministry for ensuring opening of accounts of all NREGS beneficiaries.
"Our aim is to bring all below poverty line families to the above poverty line level by 2015," Singh said.
He said during 2007-08, against the total available funds of Rs 19,028.58 crore, the states reported an expenditure of Rs 15,678.86 crore, while 3.37 families were provided employment. A total of 142 crore man-days were generated under NREGS.
