TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said that the Union government’s flagship scheme – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme – is a constant drain on the government’s money.
“Frankly speaking, I don’t agree with the scheme. I feel when expenditure is done, there has to be an outcome. It is not so in this case,” he said at a press conference. He quickly added that his comments were not in the capacity as a chief minister, but stated that the money was going down the drain.
He made the statement while announcing extension of services of 233 staffers working under the national scheme. A total of 14 programme officers, 12 assistant engineers, 20 accountants and 187 Gram Rojgar Sahayaks have got an extension from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016.
The chief minister also spelt out monthly salaries paid to each of them with programme officers earning Rs 15,000, assistant engineers Rs 12,000, accountants Rs 12,000, while Sahayaks get Rs 9,750. The scheme is implemented with a Centre-State share ratio of 70:30.
