K S Eshwarappa demands Centre to allocate Rs 1,300 cr funds, more MNREGA man-days in Karnataka
New Delhi, Nov 25: The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to approve 2 crore more man-days under the MNREGA scheme and at least 150 days of employment per family in 173 flood-hit taluks in the state, Rural Development Minister K S Eshwarappa said on Wednesday.
The BJP-led state government also demanded an extra allocation of Rs 1,300 crore funds.
A day after meeting Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Delhi, Eshwarappa said, "Tomarji responded very positively. The government has assured to sanction additional Rs 1,300 crore funds under MNREGA as well as for flood-hit taluks to provide additional days of work."
The state government has requested the Centre to provide funds for 2 crore more person days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA) scheme with an extra budget allocation of Rs 800 crore, he told reporters.
Against the target of 13 crore man-days set for the state, 10.50 crore person days of employment has already been created, he said.
Besides, the state government has requested the Centre to urgently release Rs 1,119 crore for payment of material bills under the MNREGA scheme.
"The Union minister has assured that as soon as the provision utilisation certificate is received from Karnataka, the amount will be released," the Karnataka minister said.
Eshwarappa also said that the Karnataka government has requested the Centre to increase the per family employment from 100 days in a year to 150 days in 173 flood-hit taluks with additional funds of Rs 400 crore.
The state government also sought for additional 90 cluster of villages for development under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee R-Urban Mission with a financial support of Rs 1,000 crore in the next three years, he added.
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Remarks against St Francis Xavier: Right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar gets bail
Panaji (PTI): A court in Goa on Saturday granted bail to right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar, who was arrested after he allegedly made derogatory comments against St Francis Xavier.
Judicial Magistrate First Class, Vasco, granted regular bail to Khattar, currently admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for treatment of chest pain after he was shifted from the District Hospital in Mapusa two days back.
A row erupted after a video of remarks by Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, at an event on April 18 in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.
St Francis Xavier is revered as the patron saint of Goa.
The controversial remarks led to the Vasco Police registering an FIR against Khattar on charges of hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between groups.
He was detained in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, by local police. His custody was later handed over to the Goa Crime Branch, according to officials.
