Union Rural Development Minister Chaudahary Birender Singh has said that some of the States were not updating wage-related data on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) programme on time.

“This is has been causing delay in release of funds directly to the beneficiaries,” the Minister said during a visit to the MCC Chamber of Commerce & Industry here last weekend.

Allocations

The Centre has allocated ₹38,500 crore for MGNREGA in 2016-17. Higher allocation is made to drought-hit States such as Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for wages for more than the stipulated 100 days of work, raising the frequency and volume of payments. “Despite these problems, we have released 57 per cent of the MGNREGA budget fund,” he stated.

He also said to bridge the differences in MGNREGA wage rates, particularly for unskilled manual workers, the Centre would soon come up with a “clarification”.

Singh said the Centre was aware of the various rates and gaps in wages applied by the States and was his ministry was awaiting the approval of the Finance Ministry for MGNREGA wage revision. The Centre is also weeding out fake ‘job cards’.

The four southern States have raised the daily wages this year at a higher rate (between ₹10 and 20). However, the hike in eastern States was nominal at ₹2 and ₹4, Manish Goneka, the chamber president said.

The electronic fund management system for the flagship scheme, which now links 10 States, will bring all States in its fold in the next three months, he added.

Village development

Singh said the Centre has identified 100 tribal village clusters for infrastructure development.

According to him, 95.6 per cent of toilets created in the last couple of years were found be functional by the National Sample Survey Organisation a couple of months ago.

The Centre plans to channel ₹900-crore World Bank soft loan to States for maintaining rural toilets.

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