Chhattisgarh ranks first in providing employment under MGNREGA

Raipur: Chhattisgarh has ranked first in the country in terms of providing employment under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).

As per an official release from the state government, in the current financial year 2020-21, employment of 16,06,84,000 man-days has been created so far, against the target of creating 15 crore man-days of employment, as sanctioned by the central government.

The statement said that this year, a new record of providing employment for the highest number of man-days under MGNREGA has been set in the state, adding that more than 107 per cent of the given target for providing employment under MGNREGA has been achieved this year so far, with more than two weeks left for the completion of the financial year.

It further stated that West Bengal holds the second rank with 105 per cent, Assam and Bihar jointly hold the third rank with the achievement of 104-104 per cent of the given target and Odisha holds the fourth rank with 103 per cent completion.

In the current financial year, wages of over Rs 2617 crores have been paid to MGNREGA workers from April 2020 to February 2021, the statement further informed.

The statement further said that the Bilaspur district is at the forefront in the state in terms of employment generation against the given target for the current financial year that is more than 131 per cent of the given target.

As per the statement, the percentage of the target achieved in other districts of Chhattisgarh is 125 per cent in Gorella-Pendra-Marwahi, 119 per cent in Kanker, 118 per cent in Surguja, 117 per cent in Janjgir-Champa, 115-115 per cent in Durg and Jashpur, 110 per cent in Raigarh, 109 per cent in Balod, Dantewada and 108 in Koriya, 107-107 per cent in Bemetara, Kondagaon and Raipur, 106 per cent in Mahasamund, 105-105 per cent in Balodabazar-Bhatapara and Korba, 104-104 per cent in Kabirdham, Bijapur and Mungeli, 102 per cent in Gariaband, Dhamtari and Sukma.

The statement further informed that the target has been achieved 100 per cent in Balrampur-Ramanujganj, 98-98 per cent in Rajnandgaon and Bastar, 96 per cent in Surajpur and 95 per cent in Narayanpur district.

The central government had sanctioned the target of providing employment of 13.50 crore man-days in the budget of the year 2020-21, the statement said.

It also informed that at the beginning of the financial year, construction works were started on a large scale with the objective to provide employment in rural areas and to strengthen the rural economy during the lockdown, as a result, 66 per cent of the target was achieved in the first three months of the year.

In view of this progress, the state government had requested the Centre to increase the given target under MNREGA from 13.5 crore man-days to 15 crore man-days in the current fiscal year, said the statement.