MGNREGS funds cut down: Patil

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil on Friday flayed the Central government for slashing funds to Karnataka under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The NDA government is meting out a “stepmotherly” treatment to Karnataka, he told reporters here on Friday. Patil said that the Centre had slashed the funds to the State by Rs 1,200 crore. “If the Centre persists with this, then we will have problems in providing employment to rural people and taking up development projects,” the minister added.

He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already petitioned the Centre in this regard, and had asked it to restore the funds, promised to the State. Comparing the funds released to other states, Patil said that the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh had received its entire funding of Rs 4,200 crore in one go while Karnataka was promised its share in instalments. The State was promised Rs 3,150 crore, he added.

“I will be raising this issue with Union Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Chaudhary Birender Singh on January 3 or 4, when I am in Delhi to attend all states’ conference on the RDPR,” he said.

Patil said that the government was all set to meet its target of constructing 10 lakh toilets in Karnataka by the end of this financial year. As many as 5.5 lakh toilets had already been constructed and the rest would be completed before the end of this financial year, he added.