The Central Government should approve the proposal for setting up a water testing laboratory in Dehradun. Uttarakhand should also be provided the second installment under Swachchh Bharat mission and fund under NRDWP. Repair and reconstruction of private property damaged in disaster should be brought under the purview of MNREGA. Chief Minister Harish Rawat said this while meeting Union minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and land Resources Virendra Singh in New Delhi on Monday.
Rawat requested Singh to facilitate provision of required money under the administrative fund of district rural development agency and release of the second installment for 2014-15 under Indira Awas Yojana. He also requested the Minister to allocate the Rs44.10 crore approved for 2014-15 under Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan. Discussing MNREGA with the Union Minister, the CM said, “In the financial year 2013-14 the Government of India had released Rs331.14 crore under MNREGA while in financial year 2014-15 till January this year, the Centre has released only Rs286.36 crore. The approved labour budget for 2014-15 is Rs431.75 crore but due to increased demand for work following the June 2013 disaster, dues amounting to Rs100 crore had to be paid. In order to clear the dues and with the Government of India releasing funds in small installments and resulting shortage of funds, the expected employment could not be facilitated to villagers even though there is much demand for work at present. The Centre should release Rs245 crore for clearing last year’s dues and labour budget,” said the CM.
Rawat further said that with the Central Government not releasing adequate funds for Uttarakhand, the administrative expense is not being reimbursed. The administrative fund should be increased from six per cent to 10 per cent, he said.