Amaravati, Jul 1 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh has topped all states in providing the highest wage employment with 16.7 crore person days for wager seekers through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

"AP has achieved a record 16.7 crore person days in MGNREGS against a target of 16 crore person days by June 30," said Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary on Thursday.

Incidentally, the state achieved this feat within three months, leading to the utilisation of 83.5 per cent of approved labour budget.

"Andhra Pradesh stood first at the national level in providing maximum number of average days of employment per household. Highest ever person days generated up to June since inception of the scheme in the year 2006," said an official.

In the run up to this achievement, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in April aimed to generate at least 1 crore person days in each district by the end of June, in order to meet the growing demand for wage employment in rural areas due to the Covid pandemic.

As many as nine districts achieved 1 crore person days and this was possible because of the fortnightly reviews with the district collectors by Reddy and other officials.

"During this pandemic, the scheme got implemented successfully and an amount of Rs 2,015 crore has been paid to female wage seekers and Rs 1,603 crore to male wage seekers," said the official.