In a twist to the tussle between Uttar Pradesh and Centre over implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in the state, the Mayawati Government has responded to the Congress’s ‘Hisaab Maango (Seek Accountability)’ campaign with its own ‘Money Maango (Demand Money)’ drive.

Claiming that the state now stands second in the implementation of the UPA’s flagship scheme in the country, the Mayawati regime is telling the Centre that if there is a problem, it is lack of funds.

Three letters from different levels of bureaucracy have been sent on the state Government’s behalf to the Centre asking for Rs 1,100 crore to implement the job scheme. With the Centre yet to respond, the Uttar Pradesh Department of Rural Development is now contemplating a reminder, signed by Mayawati herself.

“Our demand for Rs 1,100 crore for 11 districts has been pending since February 4. The Central Government released Rs 121 crore last month, against which we have utilised Rs 147 crore in the NREGA,” says Principal Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Rohit Nandan.

Officers in the department claim that in districts like Sonebhadra, Chitrakoot, Mirzapur and Hamirpur, jobs have been given but the state has no money to pay card holders. “We will be forced to apply brakes on the scheme as the Act makes it mandatory to pay the job card holder within 15 days,” says a Government official.

The state Government records also claim that Rs 1,514 crore has been spent between April 2007 and February 2008 under the NREGA, whereas only Rs 638 crore was spent in the same period in 2006-07. While so far Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan were rated as the best-performing states in implementation of the NREGA, the Mayawati Government now claims it has left behind Andhra and Rajasthan.

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