Youth Congress sings in praise of NREG scheme
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, APRIL 2
After the initial hiccups and controversy surrounding the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in the State, the same has been received well and till date 20,401 job cards have been made, indicating this many people have managed to secure the guaranteed and legal hundred days of employment in a year fetching Rs 110 per day.
This was a tall claim made by Goa Pradesh Youth Congress President Sankalp Amonkar on Friday at a press conference in the presence of National Coordinator Ravindra Reddy of Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi that ensured the implementation of the scheme in Goa.
He recalled AAKS was a programme floated by All India Youth Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to let the common people know about the UPA Government’s schemes. The Goa unit of AAKS has made all out efforts to see that the scheme was implemented in the State, he added.
Amonkar mentioned Reddy was in Goa to see how the scheme had been implemented in the State. The national coordinator visited five panchayats namely Mopa, Arambol, Paliem, Mandrem and Bastora and saw some of the works undertaken in these places and expressed happiness, he said.
The GPYC President claimed NREG funds that come from the Centre were in 2008-09. “After 2009 the State didn’t receive a single paisa from the Centre and Rs 6 crore from the State’s kitty towards the NREG scheme in an effort to keep the scheme afloat,” he mentioned.
Amonkar heaped praises on the Chief Minister and Churchill stating it was their benevolence to divert these funds to the NREG scheme so that the common man benefited from it.
When questioned why the State failed to received the money after 2009, the GPYC President answered, “In 2008-09 Goa received a total of Rs 6.20 crore for both North and South districts to work the scheme. However, there were initial hiccups in the implementation of the scheme as result of which the State Government was late in submitting the money utilisation certificate. Due to the delay in submitting the certificate during the year end in March the money utilised was not reimbursed.”
He said they had now requested the AAKS National Coordinator Reddy to take up with Centre the reimbursement of Rs 6.20 crore and to release the same towards the scheme.
Reddy said Goa was the first State to divert money from its coffers to the NREG scheme. “I am satisfied with the implementation of the scheme in Goa and will submit a report to the Centre and request them to release the funds spent by he State Government and also to issue fresh funds for 2010-11,” he mentioned.
He observed some of the works taken up in some of the panchayat areas he had visited were commendable and after the initial ground-level problems the scheme had taken off well.
