AGARTALA, August 22 (TIWN): The state government is apprehending low man-days generation and ebb in developmental activities due to scanty funds released from the centre under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MG NREGS).Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat here this evening, RD minister Jamatia said that the central government continued with low release of funds for the NREGS activities in Tripura till date this year.Implementation of the national poverty alleviation scheme has continued anyway in brisk pace, the minister claimed. He said that 53 percent of available funds were implemented till August in the current financial year.

The Department for RD received Rs. 72 crore in the second installment of NREGS after the first installment of Rs. 104 crore this year. Funds available to the state including central and state share under the MG NREGS till August in the last financial year stood at Rs. 418 crore 74 lakh 25 thousand while the figures have come down to Rs. 210 crores 58 lakhs 70 thousand in the current financial year.
The minister added that the state government is continuing pursuits with the union ministry for rural development to raise the cap of fifteen backwards blocks allotted to the state as a part of the reformation process set afoot in the national poverty alleviation programme. The state had earlier written to the central government seeking to raise the cap to twenty.
He today reiterated the issue saying that 15 blocks of the state were highly insufficient compared to the requirement.
Tripura currently has 6,30,727 families having job cards. The NREGS job card holders are allowed a wage rate of Rs. 155 per man-day.