Agartala, August 29 (TIWN): The state legislative assembly on Friday adopted a resolution to approach the new BJP led NDA government to propose retention of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MG NREGS) in its current operational form.

The House unanimously agreed on a private member resolution to propose the central government to refrain from limiting the central poverty alleviation scheme.

Replying a private member resolution moved by MLA Padma Kumar Debbarma in the first day of the monsoon session of the state assembly on Friday, Minister for Tribal Welfare Naresh Chandra Jamatia said that the newly formed BJP led NDA government initiated an effort to limit the NREGS by issuing mandate of selecting backward blocks across the state.

The backward blocks were selected according to the 2011 Planning Commission assessment; the minister said adding that the much have changed since then. Tripura used to have barely four districts and forty blocks in the state when the assessment was conducted, the minister said adding that most states had voiced similar protests.

The state government had written to the central government seeking relaxation in the limitation bid.

RD Minister Naresh Jamatia said earlier this month that the Department for RD had received Rs. 72 crore in the second installment of NREGS after the first installment of Rs. 104 crore this year.

Funds available to the state including central and state share under the MG NREGS till August in the last financial year stood at Rs. 418 crore 74 lakh 25 thousand while the figures have come down to Rs. 210 crores 58 lakhs 70 thousand in the current financial year.

The minister further informed that the state government is continuing pursuits with the union ministry for rural development to raise the cap of fifteen backwards blocks allotted to the state as a part of the reformation process set afoot in the national poverty alleviation programme. The state had earlier written to the central government seeking to raise the cap to twenty.