Andhra Pradesh seeking alms

DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government is seeking alms with both hands, literally.
On one hand, the state is seeking an additional Rs 2,000 crore from the Government of India under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and, on the other, is requesting “donors” to contribute a sum of Rs 54.90 crore to keep the programme going.
Ironically, the state boasts of earmarking a whopping Rs 4,800 crore for the NREGP in this year’s budget but is now looking towards donors to chip in with a sum of Rs 54.90 crore to run the programme itself.
Rural Development Principal Secretary K Raju wrote a letter to all district Collectors asking them to mobilize donations from “service-oriented” individuals\organisations to purchase work tools like crowbars and spades.
“It is necessary to supply 1000 crowbars and 1000 spades to 2000 labourers in a mandal at a cost of Rs five lakh. In order to ensure minimum wages to labourers, it is essential that productivity norms are maintained. District Water Management Authorities made sincere attempts to procure implements but have not been able to make them available due to various procurement related issues,” the Principal Secretary pointed out in the letter to the Collectors.
Since availability of adequate number of implements with the labour was one factor that influences productivity, the Collectors were asked to explore the possibilities of motivating “service-oriented” individuals\organisations to buy the implements in the open market and supply to the labourers as a “token of solidarity” with the toiling masses who were facing severe distress on account of the failed monsoon.
The NREGP is being implemented in 1098 out of the 1128 mandals in the state. At Rs five lakh per mandals, the crowbars and spades would cost a sum of Rs 54.90 crore for all the NREGP mandals.
“Demand for work under the NREGP has increased manifold because of the prevailing drought conditions in the state. We are required to start more works in tune with the demand and hence the demand for implements like crowbars and spades. Hence we are seeking donations from public for a noble cause,” a top official in the Rural Development Department said. By saving Rs 54.90 crore of government money, more people could be provided wage employment under the programme, he reasoned.
A district Collector remarked that the basic idea behind this was to “sensitise people” about the enormity of the situation and also the programme. “By making a contribution, donors may feel the empathy towards the distressed people,” the Collector observed.