Once considered to be one of the best performing states in the country with respect to UPA’s flagship social sector programmes, Andhra Pradesh has slid down below the national average in the implementation of schemes under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Development Act (MGNREGA), the most ambitious of all Centrally-sponsored schemes.
According to the background note prepared by the state plan department of the Planning Commission for the plan discussion with chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday, the percentage of utilisation of total available funds for NREGA in the state is 52.31 per cent, which is marginally lower than the national average of 54.43 per cent during the previous financial year (2010-11).
Given the data available with the Planning Commission, sources said, during the scheduled meeting with the chief minister on Friday panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other members may indulge in some pep talk. “Financial performance with respect to MGNREGA needs to be pushed up by the state,” the background note observed.
Even in case of works being taken up under the MGNREGA programmes, the number of completed jobs is far below the state’s previous track record. Mentioning this the plan panel note said, “Total works completed is 6,338 against the total works taken up of 4,64,528 during 2010-11 (Up to 24 March, 2011), which works out to be 1.36 per cent,” it said. In a bit harsher comment, the plan panel note observed that the state government has to report to the Centre “the action taken on very low rate of completion of jobs”.