India News | Patnaik Urges PM to Ensure Timely Release of MGNREGA Funds

Bhubaneswar, Nov 1 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure timely release of funds for wages and material components under MGNREGA and increase the annual labour budget for the state to 25 crore mandays for 2021-22.

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The chief minister made the request to the PM in a letter highlighting the difficulties faced by returnee migrants due to reduced economic activities following the coronavirus pandemic.

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Mentioning that the return of migrants has led to an increase in demand for wage employment under the MGNREGS, Patnaik pointed out so there is a need for an increase in the labour budget for Odisha.

While expressing gratitude for taking robust measures for economic revival of rural areas in the post-pandemic period, Patnaik said: “I would like to draw your kind attention that Rs 1,088.72 crore liabilities are pending -Rs 377.91 crore as wage component and Rs 710.81 crore as material component under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) - for Odisha.”

He sought the Prime Minister's intervention to direct the Ministry of Rural Development for timely release of funds for wage and material under the job scheme.

Noting that timely payment of wages to the poor jobseekers is the fundamental guarantee under the MGNREGA, Patnaik said, similarly timely release of payment for material is critical for creation of tangible and durable assets under the scheme.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)