5 days ago
Relief for 3.5 lakh contractors in State as Centre releases ₹180 crore NREGA dues
In a major relief to nearly 3.5 lakh small-scale contracts in Andhra Pradesh, the Central Government has released ₹180 crore towards pending bills under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) for works executed between 2014 and 2019.
Union Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar announced release of the amount on Thursday, stating that the dues had been withheld for years due to alleged political vendetta by the previous State government. 'Despite completion of works, the earlier government froze payments, even modifying software systems to block contractor bills. No payments were made for six years,' he said.
The current NDA-led coalition government coordinated with the central and State Rural Development departments, revived the old software, and successfully reopened over 3.5 lakh out of 4.3 lakh work records.
Additionally, State matching funds have also been allocated, and officials have been instructed to ensure all outstanding dues are paid within 30 days.
