Bengaluru: Coming down heavily on the state government for not showing the required level of commitment in implementing National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in the state, Speaker Kagodu Timmappa asked members to file complaints against Union and state RDPR ministers through labourers.

Speaker Kagodu intervened during the debate on the state budget and said, “As per the budget, Rs 1400 crore has been earmarked for this. However, there is a provision to utilise upto Rs 14,000 crore under this scheme. Besides, there is a provision to prosecute officials if the salary is not disbursed in time. We have to lodge a complaint with the Union and state RDPR ministers,” he said.

He also pointed to Revenue Minister Srinivas Prasad and said that a proper message should have gone from him to officials to show commitment.

JD(S) member M.T. Krishnappa earlier raised the issue and said that government was not providing jobs to rural daily wage workers under NREGS. Though they provide jobs, the wages are not released on a weekly basis.

BJP member Visveshwar Hegde Kageri complained that the daily wage workers were turning towards either private companies or going to Maharashtra for employment as the wages for who had worked way back in 2010, had not yet been released.

The Speaker expressed displeasure over the fact that the government was not taking such issues seriously and said that he would earmark time on March 31 for the House to discuss the issue and send a strong message to officials.