Agartala, August 7, 2023: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘One District One Product’ initiative, the promotion of locally popular products will receive significant attention to boost their reach within the state. Alongside the creation of permanent assets under MGNREGA in various village panchayats and villages, special focus will be given to the production of locally popular goods. The emphasis will be on supporting the cultivation of highly popular and produced goods across different districts in the state. Tripura Chief Minister Prof Dr Manik Saha highlighted this during the meeting of the Tripura State Employment Guarantee Council on Monday.
During the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, progress and future plans for various projects, including those under the Department of Rural Development, were discussed. The Chief Minister emphasized that the concerned departments of the state government should not solely depend on MGNREGA for their beneficiary selection but also consider projects funded from their respective budgets. Proper beneficiary selection is crucial for creating permanent assets through MGNREGA, ensuring proper utilization of resources and timely completion of various projects, including those in collaboration with MGNREGA.
Secretary of Rural Development Department, Dr. Sandeep N Rathore, provided information during the meeting, stating that there are currently 6,77,000 job cardholders under MGNREGA in the eight districts of the state. In the financial year 2022-23, approval was obtained for 3.25 lakh man-days in MGNREGA, and the state generated 3.34 lakh man-days, achieving a success rate of 102.95%. In the same financial year, the state received funds worth 997.08 crore, the highest in the last five years. In the current financial year, 414.78 crore has been received so far, out of which 360.47 crore has been spent. Additionally, up to 1.44 lakh man-days were approved for 2.50 lakh man-days under MGNREGA by 31st July.
The Chief Minister further emphasized that all work to be carried out through MGNREGA in the coming financial year should be regularly monitored by district administrators. In the case of rubber plantations, it is necessary to ensure that rubber growers receive the saplings on time. The Chief Minister also directed to hold meetings with the Rubber Board, if needed.
Present at the meeting were Cooperation Minister Shuklacharan Noatia, along with other MLAs and senior officials from Chief Minister’s Office, Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Principal Secretary, RD Department, P.K. Chakraborty, eight district magistrates, and other officials from the administration.
