The Central Government has approved an additional `260 crore to Chhattisgarh for payment of wages and other works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). With this, the total additional allocation received by the State under the head has gone upto `380 crore, officials said.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Choudhary Virendra Singh for the additional approval of funds.
The officials said that the additional allocation provided on request of the State Government will help the State in payment of wages and works under MGNREGS. On the request of the State Government, the Central Government has sanctioned additional amount of `412 crore for MGNREGS. Out of this `380 crore allocation has been received so far which accounts to 80 per cent of the proposal.
It is worth mentioning that Chhattisgarh Panchayat and Rural Development Minsiter Ajay Chandrakar and Additional Chief Secretary of the Department MK Raut had met Choudhary in this regard in New Delhi on November 20. They had stressed upon the need for additional funds for MGNREGS.
On the proposals of the State Government, Choudhary had immediately decided to sanction `412 crore to the State, officials said.
Modifying the existing conditions for the ‘Maternity leave Allowance’ under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in October this year, the Chhattisgarh Government has made at least 50 days work mandatory for the beneficiary during the past 12 months to avail the benefit of the scheme.
The benefit will be limited for two surviving children only, official said.
The order to this effect have been issued by the Mantralaya to all collectors and district programme coordinators in the State. The scheme was launched by the State Government in 2013 for the MNREGS job card holder pregnant women to improve the maternal health and birth of a healthy baby.
Initially, the pregnant women with job card were given the benefit of the scheme on the condition that they had worked for at least 15 days in past 12 months. This number of days of work by the job card holder has been increased from 15 to 50 to avail the benefit of the scheme.
The eligible job card holder will have to submit the application with concerned Gram Panchayat.
The applicant will have to attach a photocopy of job card containing her personal details and number of work days she has worked. For confirmation of pregnancy, a certificate issued by the Mitanin should also be attached with the application, officials said. The Gram Panchayat will scrutinise the application of the pregnant job-card holders and will issue order for acceptance or rejection of the application within five days.
On the basis of the report issued by the Gram Panchayat, the concerned Janpad Panchayat will transfer the amount of maternity leave allowance in the MNREGS account of the beneficiary within three days, officials said.