Patna,(BiharTimes): The Jitan Ram Manjhi government on Saturday once again alleged that there has been huge cut in release of fund from the Centre under MGNREGA to Bihar in the current financial year.A statement from state Rural Development Department said: “While a sum of over Rs 1,582 crore was given to Bihar by November last time its only over Rs 769 crore by November this time.”

The statement further said inadequate availability of fund was affecting implementation of the employment guarantee scheme and also causing problem in payment of wages to beneficiaries.“By end of December month, the due of the state on the Centre would pile up to Rs 1,335 crore under MGNREGA,” the Bihar government statement said adding that work under MGNREGA scheme has been stalled in the state in the last three months.

It said that for the financial year 2014-15, the state has sent a proposal of Rs 13.01 crore man days under the programme but the Union government has sanctioned only Rs 8.48 crore to the state.Incidentally, Ram Kripal Yadav is the Minister of State for Rural Development in the Narendra Modi cabinet. His predecessor was Upendra Kushwaha, who is also from Bihar. The cabinet minister is Birendra Singh.

Chief minister Manjhi has repeatedly accused the Narendra Modi government of discrimination on several counts, especially MNREGA, and has once even ‘jokingly’ threatened to stop the entry of seven Union ministers from Bihar, if they do nothing for the state.