Urging the members of Panchayati Raj Institution to withdraw their agitation, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Thongam Biswajit said proposal has been sent to the Finance department to release the sanctioned amount of Rs 569.16 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Issuing clarification on the delay in releasing the MGNREGS funds, the minister said the sanctioned amount had already been credited in the State Account on March 23. The Administrative department had sent the proposal to the Finance department for release of the fund and it will be released soon, he added.
The minister said the Provisional Utilisation Certificate of the previous sanctioned fund had been forwarded to the Ministry, which will eventually help in sanctioning the first installment of MGNREGS 2021-22 along with the liabilities. He continued that for the 15th Finance Commission, a file has also been submitted to the Finance department to sanction a sum of Rs 37,08,50,000 for Zila Parishad and Gram Panchayat as per instruction from the ministry.
Biswajit said that the release of honorarium of the Panchayati Raj Institution was delayed as there was a financial crisis in the state and the closing of the financial year in March last by the Finance department.
A sum of Rs 46.70 crore of the State Finance Commission had already been sanctioned and a file had been submitted to the Finance department to release the honorarium for the Panchayati Raj Institution members, he added.
While there had been due in the payments of job card holders, works were allotted for 60 days for the year 2020-21, the minister said.
Urging the Panchayati Raj Institution members to withdraw their agitation amid the present COVID-19 situation and cooperate in extending the days of MGNREGS, the minister assured that the honorarium of job card holders will be released at the earliest.
