Mumbai: Post offices in the country have disbursed about Rs2,900 crore as wages to around14.7 million beneficiaries of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), a government release said.

The total number of accounts opened for NREGS payments as of July-end rose to 14.7 million and the number of post offices (including head post offices, sub post offices and branch post offices) involved in the disbursals rose to 70,000 across 21 states.

Andhra Pradesh had the maximum number of over 94 lakh accounts, the release said, adding, the government had decided to make NREGS wage payments only through banks or post offices.

The department of posts in collaboration with NIC and BSNL is working towards establishing an electronic payment system for giving away these wages. The government has formed a pilot project for implementation of this system in select districts of Orissa, which will be operational by the year-end

Starting with the Andhra Pradesh postal circle in 2005, payment of wages under NREG scheme has now been extended to 19 postal circles in 21 states, the release noted.