The State continues to lag in providing employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to all those who sought employment.
While 6.48 lakh households sought employment, the government agencies could provide employment only to 4.01 lakh households despite the availability of funds.
Sources told The Hindu in Gulbarga on Monday that more than 5.96 lakh households were provided mandatory 100 days employment in the country.
The neighbouring States, including Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, provided 100 days employment to 1.75 lakh families and 1.08 lakh families, respectively, and Rajasthan and Maharashtra provided mandatory 100 days employment to 57,000 and 76,000 families, respectively, while the performance of Karnataka was woefully poor.
As against the national figures of 3.11 crore families seeking employment and the States providing employment to 3.10 crore families in the country, Karnataka, where employment was sought by 6.48 lakh families, could provide employment to only 4.01 lakh families.
There was no shortage of funds under the scheme but the expenditure percentage in the State was only 70.67.
In Gulbarga district, which is known for migration of labour, as against the 34,030 families seeking employment, only 16,420 families have been given work, and the number of families that have been provided mandatory 100 days employment is 516.