Orissa tops in NREGS fund utilisation

Bhubaneswar, Apr 27 (UNI) With an expenditure of 82.39 per cent, Orissa has topped the list of states in the implementation and utilisation of fund under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(NREGS) in the country, state Panchayat Raj Minister Raghunath Mohanty claimed.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr Mohanty said the state had spent Rs 733.06 crore out of Rs 890.10 crore allotted under the scheme and provided work to 13,94,169 families by creating 7.99 crore workdays.

The Minister said last year the government had taken 58,200 projects and submitted utilisation certificates in respect of 30,478 projects.

Mr Mohanty claimed that under the NREGS, the state government had provided more than 100 days work in a year to nearly 1,54,118 families.

Out of 13,94,169 families in the state covered under the project, 3,29,910 families belonged to Scheduled Caste, 6,67,563 families to the Scheduled Tribe and rest 3,96,686 belonged to other categories.

The Minister said the state was also adjudged the best in the country for online monitoring of the project, adding five more districts had been covered under the project during the year.

UNI