Thaindian News

Ranchi, Dec 14 (IANS) In the last eight months, Jharkhand has spent only 38 percent of its allocated fund of Rs.1,55,871 crore under the rural employment guaratee scheme for the 2011-2012 financial year, according to a state government official.

In some districts of Jharkhand, the spending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been spent below 30 percent. For example, Pakur has spent only 14 percent, Palamau 27 percent, East Singhbhum 27 percent, and Dhanbad 27 percent, a rural development department official said.

Under the central government scheme, 100 days of work is guaranteed to a member of every rural family every year.

Jharkhand officials say payment for work under the scheme is made to labourers through banks or post offices. In many parts of the state, banks or post offices do not operate, and this delays payment.

The Jharkhand government has sought an explanation from the deputy commissioners (DC) of 11 districts about poor expenditure of the MGNREGS funds.

Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh was in Jharkhand this month and expressed unhappiness over poor expenditure of funds meant for centrally-run rural development schemes like MGNREGS, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna and others.

Ramesh said he had given his consent to make cash payments to labourers in Maoist violence affected districts. He said rural job guarantee scheme payments to labourers were pending for the last eight to 10 months.

The central rural development ministry had stopped the funding in two districts of Gumla and Bokaro because of poor expenditure and corruption in MGNREGS funds.