HP becomes first state to implement ABPS in country

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has emerged as first the state in the country to start Aadhaar based Payment System (ABPS) and payments amounting Rs 76.53 crore have been made through this system till date since the scheme was launched on October 2, 2014, Rural Development Minister Anil Kumar said Friday.

He said that the workers and vendors whose bank accounts were Aadhaar-linked were being paid through ABPS and the wages and cost of material was being directly transferred to their latest Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

So far, Aadhaar numbers of 7.23 lakh active MNREGA workers had been seeded in the MNREGA out of which 5.54 lakh workers' accounts had been linked with the banks.

He said that the roadside plantation plan for roads constructed under PMGSY had been prepared during the current financial year and approximately one lakh plants of different species such as mulberry, Jamun, Saru, Shisham, Eucalyptus, Peepal, Cedrus, Neem etc had been planted by the Public Works Department.

The Minister said that Centre had approved labour budget for generating 258.29 lakh mandays during the current financial year.

The Central Government imposed a cut in the labour budget this year, which resulted in liabilities amounting to Rs 87 crore to the state government.

He said that the Centre had released Rs 119.2 crore whereas state had released its share of Rs 12.42 crore during current financial year.