Centre Releases ₹180 Crore NREGA Dues, Bringing Relief to 3.5 Lakh State Contractors

Speedy Summary:

• The Central Government has released ₹180 crore to clear pending NREGA dues in Andhra Pradesh.
• The payments concern works executed between 2014 and 2019 under the National rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• Around 3.5 lakh small-scale contractors will benefit from the cleared dues.
• Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, disclosed that payments were stalled for six years due to alleged political interference by the previous State government.
• Changes made to software systems under the former governance reportedly froze contractor payments despite completed work being recorded.
• The current NDA-led government, in coordination with state departments, restored old software and reopened over 3.5 lakh work records out of a total of 4.3 lakh affected entries.
• Matching funds from the Andhra Pradesh government have also been allocated to ensure all outstanding bills are settled within 30 days.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The resolution of long-pending NREGA dues marks a meaningful development for rural employment and grassroots economic stability in Andhra Pradesh. By releasing ₹180 crore, nearly 3.5 lakh contractors-many from economically weaker sections-stand to recover lost earnings, potentially revitalizing rural livelihoods.

The claim that past governments allegedly manipulated digital systems highlights critical governance challenges and raises questions about public accountability in handling welfare programs like NREGA. Restoring these records reflects technological rectification but also showcases how administrative diligence can mitigate long-term policy inefficiencies.

this release underscores inter-governmental collaboration between central and state levels as pivotal for resolving operational deadlocks in welfare projects-a lesson applicable across sectors nationwide.

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