Yet another Centre-State controversy has surfaced with the Centre saying that Karnataka is yet to submit any proposal seeking an increase in the number of man-days under the MGNREGA from 100 to 150 in drought-hit areas though the State has petitioned the Centre in this regard multiple times.
The issue has come to light with the Centre informing Sumalatha, MP, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on December 12 that it has not received any proposal from Karnataka.
The issue came to the fore on Thursday with Congress member K.M. Shivalinge Gowda raising it in the Assembly during the Zero Hour.
Taking exception to this, Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge described the reply provided by Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh in the Lok Sabha as “wrong and false”.
Seeking to set the records straight, Mr. Kharge said the Karnataka RDPR Commissioner had written to the Union Rural Development Minister on September 14 seeking an increase in the man-days. Again, the Karnataka RDPR Principal Secretary had written to the Secretary of the Union Rural Development Minister in this regard on September 16. In fact, he himself (Mr. Kharge) had written to Mr. Giriraj Singh in this regard on September 20 besides sending a reminder to him on October 18, the Minister said.
Mr. Giriraj Singh replied to him on October 31, acknowledging the letter correspondences and also informing the State that its request for increasing the man-days by 50 days was being examined, Mr. Kharge said.
He said though he had visited Delhi twice, he could not get an appointment with the Union Rural Development Minister to personally meet him.
Expressing concern that the Centre was giving false information instead of increasing the man-days, which is to be done in all the drought-hit areas, Mr. Kharge said the State would again send a reminder in this regard.
