Shimla, Oct 17 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has taken up the matter of early release of its share under MGNREGA with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this fiscal, a statement said Friday.

He has pointed out that the state spent Rs.571.22 crore in 2013-14 under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) programme generating 282.47 lakh man days, which was 103 percent of the targeted labour budget of 273.19 lakh man days, it said.

The ministry of rural development has approved the labour budget of Rs.276.80 lakh man days for the 2014-15 fiscal.

Against the approved labour budget, the central share amounted to Rs.670.71 crore but according to the revised allocation of funds the central share has been reduced to Rs.355.43 crore, it said.

The chief minister urged Modi to release Rs.670.71 crore according to the approved labour budget pointing out that any reduction in the central allocation would adversely affect the implementation of MGNREGA in the state, it added.