State Budget: Allocation for MGNREGS & Awas Yojana may go up

There may be a substantial rise in the budgetary allocation by the Bengal government this year to compensate for the fund crunch in various social schemes, including MGNREGA and Awas Yojana, caused mainly because of non-clearance of dues by the Centre.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 3 from the sit-in demonstration on Red Road had said that her government will pay 21 lakh MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers their pending wages by February 21.

Sources in the state government said that the budgetary allocation for the MGNREGS and Awas Yojana in the state budget may be increased. State Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya is going to present the Budget in the Assembly on Thursday. State government will send a total around Rs 3,732 crore to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers by February 21. Allotment may be increased for the Awas Yojana scheme as well.

According to the state government sources, Centre has withheld funds for 11 lakh Awas beneficiaries and the dues under this scheme runs up to around Rs 6,600 crore. Banerjee, who is also Trinamool Congress chairperson, had said from the sit-in demonstration: “Our people have traveled a long distance to arrive here; especially MGNREGA workers who haven’t received their pending wages and Awas Yojana beneficiaries who are yet to get their houses. You are like our brothers and sisters.” Chief Minister Banerjee on repeated occasions said that Bengal would have reaped the benefits of more welfare projects had the Centre been fair with funding for schemes like MGNREGS, Awas Yojana and others. There are several centrally sponsored schemes that the Bengal government continues funding after the Centre stopped releasing money, Banerjee had said.