BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the State Government has asked the Central Government to include repair and construction of school buildings under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
Speaking after inaugurating the ‘NREGA Habba’ here on Monday, Bommai advocated for the extension of the scope of the NREGA programme. “I have provided Rs 50 crore to take up construction of 1,000 anganwadis in the budget.
We have also asked the Centre to include repair and construction of school buildings under the programme. If the Centre gives its nod, rural people will get more work and the government can take up repair and construction of classrooms in a big way,” he said.
He said the state was ahead compared to other states in the implementation of the programme. “NREGA is a weapon that will play an important role in the eradication of poverty. It is helping in strengthening the economy. Hence, ‘NREGA Habba’ is a state festival and it should be celebrated in every village to encourage panchayats to work more vigorously,” he said.
Stressing on the importance of decentralisation, the CM said the administration will freeze if power is not decentralised. “Decentralisation of power should be like honey. Once allowed to flow from Vidhana Soudha, it should directly reach the beneficiary. Political decentralisation has happened, administrative decentralisation has also been a reality to some extent, but we need financial autonomy which is essential for development,” he added.