According to an updated status report on the implementation of the UPA government’s flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the State has dropped seventeen positions, from 2nd position last financial year to 19th position during the current fiscal year.

An embarrassed State government will have much to explain when the Central team visits to take stock of the NREGS implementation here.

According to the latest status report prepared by Rural Development Ministry, the State government has utilised a meagre 41.53 per cent of the fund i.e. Rs 163 crore out of Rs 392.91 crore till January 31 this year.

The State had utilised 68.94 per cent of the fund during the corresponding period last year. Karnataka is far behind other states as the national level average utilisation of funds is 60.42 per cent.With the utilisation record of 65 per cent, neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have performed better in same period.

In 11 districts

The scheme is being implemented in 11 districts in the State, of which six have been included in the second phase. The utilisation of fund in these districts, viz., Belgaum, Bellary, Chikkmagalore, Hassan, Kodagu and Shimoga was abysmally low, at an average of 6.1 per cent.

A Central team is scheduled to visit the State next month for an on-the-spot assessment of the reasons behind the tardy implementation of NREGS.

“Though the state has claimed that it has provided jobs to 3,34,716 households out of the total 3,35,975, the utilisation of funds was very meagre,” Rural Development Secretary Rita Sharma told Deccan Herald.

The State government’s utilisation of funds clearly indicates that the concerned authorities made little effort to popularise the scheme, a senior official in the Ministry said.