Uttam slams Govt for neglecting drought-hit areas

Nalgonda, April 21 (INN): Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has accused the TRS Government of completely neglecting drought hit people in the State. He slammed the State Government for improper implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in drought affected areas.

The TPCC chief on Thursday visited several rural areas in the Nalgonda district and interacted with the people of drought hit areas. He said that while the State Government was not providing any work under NREGA scheme on one hand, people have not been getting the payments for the works they carried out under the scheme. He lamented that state government was not releasing the NREGA payments for months so much so that nearly Rs 310 crores dues pile up as on today. He said that lack of payments for past several months rural labourers have been moving to urban areas rather than due to lack of work.

Nearly 12 lakh people across the state were hit due to delayed payments, said Uttam.

He said that as per the norms government was bound to release the payment within 15 days of completing the particular work. However, this norm was completely ignored. If this is the case with delayed payments, people in the drought hit areas not even getting works under NREGA, he said.

The TPCC chief informed that as per the figures, payments are delayed in almost all the districts in the state. In Nalgonda district there are 1.24 lakh people working under the scheme and payment due is Rs 50 crores. Similarly, in Khammam it is Rs 35 crores for 2.50 lakh laborers, in Mahabubnagar it is Rs 29 crores for 1.14 lakh laborers, in Nizambad it stands at Rs 15.95 crores for 1.80 lakh labors and so on. He accused the state government of neglecting the plight of lakhs of labourers working under the scorching sun and not taking any measures as per the directions of Supreme Court and according to the NREGA norms.

Doubting that the funds meant for the payment of NREGA works were diverted, Uttam Kumar questioned the state government as to when it would release the payments. He said that temporary tents for the laborers were also not installed anywhere, which was obligated by virtue of NREGA norms and questioned the government as to when the arrangements in this regard would be done.

Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded that the state government streamline the NREGA works and payments and save the lives of laborers working in the heat wave conditions across the state.