Ranchi: State rural development minister Deepika Pandey Singh on Monday said the Centre owes Rs 900 crore to the state govt under the material component of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).Attending the two-day national rural development conference in New Delhi, Singh demanded that the Centre release the pending funds to the state govt.“The delay in releasing these funds has adversely affected the implementation of MGNREGA projects across the state. In Jharkhand’s rural areas, MGNREGA has long served as a vital source of employment. During the Covid-19 pandemic, projects implemented under the scheme provided sustained livelihood opportunities to rural workers and helped them remain employed,” she said. Citing rising inflation and shrinking employment, she demanded a revision in the daily wage for workers to Rs 433. Currently, MGNREGA workers in Jharkhand receive a daily wage of Rs 282. Of that, Rs 255 is contributed by the central govt, while the Jharkhand govt provides the remaining Rs 27.Singh further appealed to Union rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to increase the financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to Rs 2 lakh per beneficiary.
