MGNREGS works in slow progress in Agency

Visakhapatnam: With general elections are drawing closer, the officials are on high pressure to complete the works taken up under various schemes in the district. Due to several reasons, the officials are failing to complete their set targets of various developmental works including MGNREGS works in Agency areas.

Shortage of sand, labour, mismatching of government price against actual expenditure and Maoist threat in the Agency are primary reasons for failing to complete the set targets. Under the MGNREGS works, as many as 285.56 lakh working days were sanctioned to district in the current fiscal.

However, the district has achieved 166.83 working days (in the past eight-and-half months) only and in the next three-and-half months, it has to complete the remaining 118.73 working days. Under the solid waste management, the government sanctioned 612 sheds to district.

However, 290 sheds were only completed so far. The Panchayat Raj department has taken up 211 works including CC, BT and gravel roads and CC drains. However, it had completed 107 works only and other works are under various stages of progress.

Meanwhile at a review meeting held recently on the progress of various works, collector Pravin Kumar directed all the concerned department heads to complete all the targets before January 31.