Hyderabad: Telangana Minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Development D Seethakka has written to the Centre demanding that the state be allotted at least 12 crore workdays under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), amid rising demand for rural employment and a sharp cut in the central allocation this year.
In her letter, the minister expressed dissatisfaction over the reduction in sanctioned workdays compared to last year. She said the Centre’s current cap was inadequate to meet ground-level demand and that she would personally appeal to senior Union ministers once an appointment is confirmed.
So far this year, Telangana has completed 4.53 crore person-days out of the 6.5 crore allocated by the Centre, roughly 70 per cent of the total. The scheme has provided employment to 28.48 lakh workers from 18.9 lakh households, with the average household completing 24 workdays. As many as 1,127 families have completed the full 100-day quota.
Workers are currently receiving an average daily wage of ₹250.75, while the state is working to ensure full payment of ₹307 per day as notified.
Agriculture-related works make up 50 per cent of total activities under the scheme so far, against a 60 per cent target. Over one lakh activities are in progress, including farm ponds, cattle sheds, and plantation work. Another 1.31 lakh infrastructure works are underway, covering panchayat buildings, Anganwadi centres, and CC roads.
As of May-end, the state has spent ₹1,416 crore under NREGS, including ₹1,151.67 crore on wages and ₹191.03 crore under the material component. Despite delays in fund release by the Centre, officials said the state has ensured uninterrupted wage payments, transferring ₹733.52 crore directly to workers’ accounts.
Officials noted a steep rise in demand for NREGS jobs this year, even as the Centre halved the workday allocation compared to the previous cycle.
