Bhubaneswar, Nov 26 (IANS): The Odisha government Wednesday urged the centre to immediately release Rs.1195.40 crore for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) projects.

In a letter to Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought his intervention in the matter.

Against the Rs. 363.24 crore sanctioned for the last quarter of the 2013-14 fiscal, only Rs. 82.61 crore was released in two installments.

"To ensure uninterrupted implementation of the scheme and payment to labourers, the state government released Rs. 300 crore from its own funds to manage the situation," informed Patnaik.

Patnaik said that Odisha is faced with similar situation this current financial year too due to release of inadequate funds by the ministry which is leading to frequent disruption of works under the scheme.

"As per the labour budget, there is a requirement of Rs. 1258.50 crore up to the last quarter of this year. While the ministry has released Rs. 658.91 crore in three installments, there is still an advance of Rs. 219.88 crore released earlier from the state exchequer to be settled by the central government," said the chief minister.

He also told the union minister that the implementation of the scheme in the state has completely stopped since Oct 15.