Hyderabad: Union Coal and Mines minister G Kishan Reddy has urged the Telangana government to immediately issue a notification for the implementation of the VBRMG scheme and allocate its share of funds, as the programme is to be financed jointly by the centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio.
Ahead of the nationwide rollout of the VBRMG scheme on July 1, Kishan Reddy, along with Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reviewed the preparedness of Telangana and sought details regarding the scheme’s implementation in the state.
In a statement released on Thursday, June 11, Kishan Reddy said that under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the central government had generated Rs 147.63 crore person-days of employment in Telangana over the past 12 years and spent Rs 35,802 crore on the programme.
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‘Rs 3,825.31 cr allocated to Telangana for current financial year’
He noted that the Centre has allocated Rs 3,825.31 crore to Telangana for the current financial year under the new VBRMG scheme, which is scheduled to commence on July 1. The scheme is expected to provide 125 days of employment to rural workers, with wages being credited within seven days of completion of work.
Kishan Reddy further explained that the scheme would be suspended for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons to prevent labour shortages for farming activities. However, the notification specifying the suspension period must be issued by the state government.
‘Consult farmers, labourers’
He urged the Telangana government to consult farmers and labourers before deciding on the dates of the temporary suspension so that the arrangement is acceptable to all stakeholders.
“The Telangana government should work in coordination with the centre to ensure the effective implementation of the scheme,” the union minister said.
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