Srinagar: Keeping the ‘discrimination’ alive, Jammu and Kashmir Government has sanctioned more funds to Jammu Division as compared to Kashmir to implement different schemes under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for financial year 2017-18.
Well placed sources told Srinagar based news gathering agency – CNS – that Rs 374 crore has gone into kitty of Jammu Division while peanuts (Rs 178 crore) have been sanctioned for Kashmir Division.
The ironical part is that as compared to whooping Rs 55 crore sanctioned to Jammu district, Srinagar has been allotted only Rs one crore.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA is a labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘right to work’.
It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Sources said that Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department in a bid to implement MGNREGA schemes in Jammu and Kashmir has sanctioned Rs 570 crore out of which Jammu has got Rs 374 crore, Kashmir Rs 178 crore and Rs 18 crore has been sanctioned for the Ladakh region.
The fund distribution district wise data reveals that Srinagar has been allotted Rs one crore, Jammu Rs 55 crore, Anantnag Rs 45 crore, Budgam 12 crore, Bandipora 6 crore, Baramulla 18 crore, Ganderbal 13 crore, Kulgam and Kupwara Rs 33 crore each, Pulwama 10 crore, Shopian 7 crore, Samba Rs 6 crore, Reasi Rs 30 crore, Kathua Rs 18 crore, Kishtwar Rs 70 crore, Poonch Rs 37 crore, Rajouri Rs 56 crore, Ramban 12 crore, Udhampur Rs 20 crore, Kargil Rs 6 crore and Leh has been allotted Rs 12 crore.
Castigating Rural Development Ministry for resorting to discrimination, Kashmir based employees said that major gap in fund distribution is aimed at to provide salaries to those people in Jammu who have “illegally” been adjusted in the department.
“The funds that are made available to Block Development Offices are being spent on the official tours of bureaucrats and ministers. The expenditure incurring on the tour and travels of these top officials is borne by employees working under MGNREGA,” they said.
