BENGALURU: With a total of `1,050 crore yet to be released by the Centre to the state for works taken up under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), a delegation from the state will visit New Delhi and urge the Centre to release the dues.The pending amount should be released at the earliest in order to be utilised for existing welfare schemes and the new projects that will be taken up in the upcoming budget, said Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byregowda.
He said that will would meet the officials concerned and press for the release of the same.
While the state has taken up works under the scheme, only `450 crore of `1,500 crore of Central government’s share has been released, Byregowda said.
Open defecation-free by October 2
Following the Centre’s directions to ensure that the country is open defecation-free (ODF), he said the state will achieve it by the set deadline of October 2.
While most of the districts in the state have been declared ODF, only six to seven districts are yet to achieve the target.
“We are confident of meeting the target by the set deadline,” he said.
Complaints against drinking water units
Of the 12,000 clean drinking water units installed in the state, there has been complaints that 1,112 units are not operational.
Officials have been directed to form a task force and ensure that all drinking water units are operational by July 15, he said.
Lack of power supply, dried-up borewells and faulty machinery are the reasons for the non-functioning units.
While 17,000 such units were proposed to be installed in the state, only 12,000 have been installed till date.