From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 12: The Centre has released Rs. 127.3 crore to Karnataka under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The amount released was an additional grant to the already released Rs 950 crore to the State under the scheme in 2012-13.

With this the total grants to the State Government under the MGNREGA during the current year is Rs 1,077.3 crore.

Karnataka still has an unspent balance of Rs 266 crore as on January 30, 2013, said Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh in a letter to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

The letter said the State government should release its share within a fortnight of release of the Central assistance.

The expenditure on implementation of MGNREGA with regard to 40 per cent material component included wages of skilled and semi-skilled labour, which is to be shared on 75:25 between the Centre and the State government respectively.