Unemployment allowance to be distributed under NREGA: Ekka

Ranchi, Mar 19 (UNI) Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Anosh Ekka today informed the Assembly that allowance will be given to all job card holders, who failed to get any work under National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (NREGA) in the state.

Replying to a query of JD(U) member Radhakrishna Kishore, Mr Ekka said about 25,000 people had applied for jobs under NREGA but only 17,000 people got work.

''Remaining 8,000 people would be given unemployment allowance,'' Mr Ekka added.

Chief Minister Madhu Koda said the Act was implemented in February 2006, during the tenure of the erstwhile NDA government, which failed to implement the Act properely.

Mr Koda said that the present government would leave no stone unturned for NREGA's implementation.

In another matter Deputy Chief Minister Stephen Marandi said government would soon take decision over constituting new blocks.

Mr Vinod Kumar Singh of CPI-ML said Tati Jharia area of Hazaribagh fulfiled the requirement of block headquarter and thus should be given such status.

UNI XC-AM PP LS KN1614