Congress demands 11 district of Gujarat be declared drought-affected

GANDHINAGAR: The Whip of the Gujarat Assembly Congress Party and the MLA of Sidhpur Balvantsinh Rajput have demanded that 11 districts of the Gujarat state should be declared as drought hit. There is water scarcity in Gujarat in almost all the places. There was shortfall of 19% of rainfall in 2015. Due to this there were crop failures. Every year in Gujarat there is drought like situation.In spite of this, the state government is unable to tackle these issues, as claimed by Rajput.
Rajput has stated that in 2016-17 under the MNREGA Scheme the central government allocated only Rs. 51.20 crore (0.26%) to Gujarat as against the total Rs. 19295 crore, sanctioned by the central grant to all the 27 states. The state government has not started 70% of drought related relief work under MNREGA. In MNREGA, the implementation of work is too poor as indicated by “Empowered Committee of Centre” by reviewing the work from 2013-14 onwards. The BJP government has failed to complete 14% work in 2013-14, 45% work in 2014-15 and 90% work in 2015-16. The man days of employment generated has also declined from Rs. 2.82 crore in 2012-13 to Rs. 2.25 crore in 2015-16. The minus balance under MNREGA is prevailing in 177 blocks of 28 districts. The government is totally ignoring the MNREGA by opening new relief work, the Congress has said.
Rajput has stated that under the BJP government, only 14% of the total work approved under the MNREGA scheme in 2013-14 was complete. In the same way in 2014-15, 45% work was not done and in 2015-16, 90% work was not completed. In 2015-16, 90% work was still pending.
Out of 5.57 lakh families only 19255 was allocated work of 100 days. In 2016-17, only seven families who were drought hit were provided work of 100 days, as wrong figures were given by the state government, Rajput adds.
In 28 districts, in 177 talukas under MNREGA, there is minus balance. Rajput has also stated that in the critical situation of drought in the state, the state government is totally ignoring the MNREGA by not opening new relief work.