From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 2: The State Government has increased the number of days of work from 100 to 150 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in 135 drought-hit taluks of Karnataka in view of the severe drought situation prevailing in the State.

With more than three-fourth of Karnataka reeling under severe drought, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil on Wednesday reviewed the progress of various departmental schemes and said number of days of work a year increased to each rural household to prevent migration of people.

The beneficiaries would get daily wages of Rs 204 a day under the job scheme.

The State is expected to get Rs 2587.35 crore during 2015-16 for taking up various works under the scheme.

Each grama panchayat has been asked to provide jobs from minimum 20 people to maximum 100 people per day and GPs across the State would take up 10,000 works related to roads, bridges, lakes, playgrounds etc in the next few months.

A sum of Rs 369 crore had been released to GPs under the 14th Finance Commission, he told presspersons.

Patil discussed preparation of action plans with ZP Chief Executive Officers, who attended the meeting, and said ZP CEOs and engineers have been told to follow 77 instructions while preparing action plans.

To tackle drinking water in villages, the ZP and GPs have been told to supply water in tankers and energise borewells.

A sum of Rs 49 crore had been released to provide power connections to borewell pumpsets.

A sum of Rs 75 crore had been released to Task Forces headed by legislators to mitigate drought, the minister said.