Increase NREGS works up to 400 crore: Rana

Nizamabad: Due to the severe drought conditions, District Collector Yogita Rana directed the officials to increase works under NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) up to Rs 400 crores.

She conducted a review meeting on Wednesday on NREGS, Individual House-Hold Latrines (IHHL) and Telangana Haritha Haram schemes with officials of various departments at the Collectorate. Speaking on the occasion, Rana said that last year works worth Rs 211 crore were carried out under NREGS. This year, works of Rs 270 crore were done so far and another Rs 30 crore worth works would be done by the month end, she said.

She said under IHHL scheme, Rs 65 crore would be spent to construct lavatories. Pointing that works are yet to be started in villages, she directed the officials to begin the construct works of lavatories immediately.

She further stated that Nizamabad ranks first in sanctioning and constructing graveyards and dumping yards. So far, 729 grave yards and 1145 dumping yards are sanctioned in the district this year, Rana said. The Collector further said that the government provided 150 days of work to one lakh families and 100 days of works to 75,000 families under NREGS scheme.

Rana asked the officials to submit the details of required saplings under Telangana Haritha Haram programme. If the details are already ready, the officials should prepare the plan to grow the saplings at the 405 government nurseries, according to the requirement, she added.

The forest officials were asked to grow the nurseries according to the water availability and arrange green shades, and prepare contingent action plan. Yogita Rana said that officials should take action to ground the loans to the beneficiaries of Economic Support Scheme before March 25.

Additional Joint Collector Rajaram, DFOs Sujatha and Prasad, NREGS and IKP Project Directors Venkateshwarulu and Venkatesham and others were present.