SHILLONG, June 29: The Union Ministry of Rural Development has released an amount of Rs 190 crore, relating to the material component, to the state government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). “We have received the funds from the Ministry. We are in the process of releasing the funds to various Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Blocks across the state,” C&RD Minister Hamletson Dohling said on Tuesday. He added that the problems of funds relating to the material component will be resolved once the funds are made available to the Village Employment Councils (VECs).
It may be mentioned that many VECs face issues while continuing with the works under MGNREGA due to the delay in the release of funds relating to the material components. It has also been informed that the Ministry had not released the funds relating to the material components since last year.
At times, even when the funds for the payment of wages are available, the VECs are unable to go ahead with the proposed work due to the non-release of funds relating to the material components.A senior official from the department admitted that he had received complaints from several VECs over the delay in the release of funds relating to the material components. “It is not only this year that there has been a delay in the release of funds relating to the material components. We have been experiencing this problem for many years now,” the official said.
It was also informed that the VECs are being encouraged to take up work which does not required any construction of material in view of the pandemic situation.
He also informed that there was an increase in the demand for work under MGNREGA of late.
