‘NREGS should serve purpose'

Though providing employment was the prime objective of the scheme, care should be taken to see that the works taken up under the scheme were of use to the people.

The works taken up under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme should contribute to nation building along with providing employment to the poor and under employed, district Collector S.A.M. Rizvi has said.

Addressing Mandal Development Officers at a review meeting here on Friday the Collector said that the Government was spending crores of rupees on the rural employment guarantee scheme. Though providing employment was the prime objective of the scheme, care should be taken to see that the works taken up under the scheme were of use to the people.

Permission

He said that permission was granted for the improvement of 543 minor drains in 27 of the 50 mandals in the District under the scheme. He said that work had already been completed on 221 drains and work was in progress in 108 drains and it had been recently grounded in 32 drains.

Reviewing the progress of the meeting the Collector said that employment guarantee scheme works in Pedana, Gudlavaleru, Challapalli, Mudinepalli, Pamarru, Mopidevi, Pamidemakkala, Vuyyuru, Kalidindi and Kodur mandals were progressing fast, but some effort should be made to speed it up in the remaining mandals. While the improvement of 434 tanks was on the cards work had begun in 139 tanks only.

Levelling of the ground in the Indiramma Housing Colony also needed to be expedited, he opined. While levelling was needed in 129 colonies work had been completed in just six colonies and it was in progress in another 34 only, the Collector pointed out. The drainage works should be completed on a priority.