AGARTALA, Aug 11 � Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has said that the success in the process of implementation of MGNREGA should be continued in the days to come.
In the last year (2011-12), the total job generation was 86.47 percent, which was well ahead of the national average of 42 percent. Tripura had topped the NREGA implementation with creation of 86.47 mandays (average) and neghouring Mizoram came up second with 72.48 mandays.
Whereas other big States like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Naidu, Maharasthra are lagging far behind in implementing MGNREGA. Out of total job card holders (6.02 lakh), about 94.15 percent card holders were given job under the national flagship programme.
The Chief Minister was presiding over a review meeting of the State Employment Guarantee Council at Civil Secretariat on Friday. In the meeting, Sarkar directed the authority of RD Department to increase the mandays compared to last the fiscal year.
�The job generation which was achieved last year should not be reduced during the current financial year,� he told in the meeting, which was attended by Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury and RD Minister Jitendra Chowdhury.
In the financial year 2011-12, the Union Ministry for Rural Development under MGNREGA had approved a budget proposal of Rs 104230 lakh but the sanctioned amount was Rs 99475.29 lakh. The minimum wage for last fiscal year was Rs 118 and from this year the wage will be Rs 124. Payments are made directly through various banks at present in all 994 village panchayats and village committees.
Under MGNREGA, 83,683 permanent assets have been created in the State in the last fiscal year. Among them significant assets include road connectivity in 18775 villages, 16909 water harvesting projects, 7373 micro irrigation projects, 6306 various irrigational projects and renovation of 4638 water bodies.
