State has exceeded job scheme targets

BANGALORE: The state government has exceeded the target in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and spent over Rs 2,160 crore against the allocation of Rs 1,920 crore for the year 2011-12. However, the Union government allocated another Rs 1,600 crore for a period of six months till September 2012.Speaking to newsmen here on Thursday,  Rural Development and the Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar informed the MGNREGA implementation in the state for the year 2011-12 is 100 per cent.“The grants would be enhanced further after seeing the progress  by the state government,” Shettar said.He added the Union government released all the pending grants of over Rs 700 crores, for the work done under the MGNREGA scheme for the year 2011-12. The state government released over Rs 550 crore to the Panchayaths. “This amount would enough to clear all the pending bills for the work done,” he said.Shettar who was also a part of the Cabinet Sub-committee on Drought chaired by the Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, said the committee resolved not to disconnect power from  those borewells which supply drinking water to the villages. All the electricity supply companies were directed to give priority to energise all the pending drinking water supply schemes without any further delay.The committee have also decided to instruct the banks and the co-operative institutions not to press the farmers for the repayment of loans.Referring to death of five people who were engaged in  drought relief work, the minister said he had sought a report from the DC.