Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh release the book in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Feb. 29: Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh today said his department has proposed to provide 50 per cent of the funds of the rural development ministry to states during the 12th Five Year Plan.

Speaking at the release of a book titled Leveraging MNREGA for Flood Control: A Case for Policy Reforms in Bihar, he said the proposal has been submitted to the finance minister and the Prime Minister for their approval.

“The detailed guidelines will be issued to the states regarding the use of funds for rural development,” the minister said. He added that certain changes were introduced to the provision for the use of funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Act (MNREGA).

The Union minister said New Delhi would evolve a mechanism to keep an eye on the use of the Centre-sponsored schemes. At present, the states get 40 per cent of the rural development funds.

Ramesh said water supply and sanitation would be the priority of the ministry during the 2012-13 financial year. Expressing concern over rising cases of arsenic poisoning and water borne diseases in eastern India, the minister said a special programme would be launched to provide safe drinking water and sanitation to the rural masses under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. “The programme has already got the approval of the finance ministry,” he revealed.

“The department has decided to enhance subsidy ranging between Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000 for providing sanitation facilities to all people without making any distinction between the above and the below poverty lines,” the Union minister said.

Ramesh added that the states would be given the liberty to a certain extent to use the funds of MNREGA according to their requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Nitish Kumar advocated setting up a special task force headed by the development commission to chalk out a detailed plan on the use of MNREGA funds in the state.

“The task force should comprise officers not below the rank of joint secretary or additional secretary,” he said.

Planning Commission member Mihir Sah said 30 new works would be included in MNREGA scheme from the next financial year.