Agartala: Tripura has retained its top position for the third consecutive year in the country in implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Rural Development Minister Jitendra Choudhury told reporters here on Wednesday that the state had offered 72.39 per cent mandays to the rural household and secured first position at end of the financial year.
Tripura is followed by Andhra Pradesh (48.70 per cent), Sikkim (47.43 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (45.45 per cent) and Mizoram (43.27 per cent).
With the performance in MGNREGA implementation, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) had increased the labour budget of Rs 104.5 crore for Tripura in 2012-13 compared to last year. Choudhury, however, stated that Tripura had utilised Rs 979.42 crore at the end of the financial year out of its total allocation of Rs 1042 crore.
Referring to the performance of other northeastern states, he said that Assam has offered 24.03 per cent job, Arunachal Pradesh 5.88, Manipur 27.52, Meghalaya 38.41, Mizoram 43.27, Nagaland 37.27 and Sikkim 47.43 per cent.
He, however, pointed out that about 38.36 per cent women had got employment over the year in the state against the national average of 49.40 per cent. Himachal Pradesh heads the list of providing highest amount of employment to women (59.69 per cent) followed by Andhra Pradesh (57.73 per cent). (UNI)
