Report by Dipti Ranjan Kanungo, Bhubaneswar: The government assured to consider the demands of the Gram Rozgar Sevaks provided the centre increased the Contingency fund under the National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme( NREGS)

The state level convention of the Orissa Gram  Rozgar Sevak Federation held at the Adibasi ground here .The hike of monthly salary of the Gram  Rozgar Sevak  from Rs 2 thousand to Rs 5,500,Responsibilities to operate the computer of the Panchayat etc demanded by the federation.

In this convention Rajyasabha MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra Joined as chief Guest.He assured the Gram Rozgar Sevaks to discussed the their problems with the Chief minister.

Panchayati Raj minister Raghunath Mohanty blamed the congress  led UPA government at the Centre of discriminating Orissa in providing Central assistance.The NREGS programme has almost come to a standstill  position in 17 districts of the state out of 30 due to nonrelease of second instolment of financial assistance by the centre even as the financial year is going to be closed.As per the rules of the NREGS , the second phase financial assistance be provided after expenditures of 60 percent of the first phase.While the government is mandated to provide 100 days of work to the registered job seekers . but due to paucity of funds in the scheme and absence of central assistance the government  has been forced to divert funds from other schemes to keep the national programme continue. Among others Finance Minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai , and Jagyaneswar babu were  addressed the Occasion.