Date:19/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/19/stories/2007111959820600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

30 lakh post office accounts opened for wage payments under NREGS

Special Correspondent

Average wage rate per day per person at Rs. 80.76
Over 95 per cent of works sanctioned identified

HYDERABAD: As many as 30 lakh post office accounts have been opened for individual wage payments in the State under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

This information was contained in the annual report of NREGS, Andhra Pradesh, for 2006-07 which was tabled in the State Legislative Assembly and Council on Friday.

The report said 77,856 households completed 100 days of wage employment in the year as guaranteed by the legislation. The average wage rate per day per person worked out to Rs. 80.76.

The NREGS was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Anantapur district on February 2 last year.

It became fully operational in 2006-07 in 13 districts – Adilabad, Anantapur, Chittoor, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kadapa, Medak, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Vizianagaram and Warangal.

As many as 2.41 lakh works were placed in shelf with a value of Rs. 1,844 crore in 2006-07.

Over 95 per cent of works sanctioned were identified by gram panchayats. The scheme has tried to ensure payment of minimum wages for every wage seeker. Payment of equal wages to both men and women has also been ensured.

The IT initiative for implementation of the programme included registration of wage seekers and issue of job cards. A customised application software was developed in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services and deployed across the 657 mandals where the scheme was implemented.