AGARTALA, November 11 (TIWN): As per the new Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment (MGNREGA) Act, Central Govt. identified at least 15 backwards Blocks at Tripura following the 2011 census.Talking to the media persons on Tuesday at the civil secretariat state Rural Development Minister Naresh Chandra Jamatia expressed his dissatisfaction over the slicing of the fund allocation for MGNREGA for the state informed that as per the MGNREGA Act Central Govt. identified at least 15 backwards Blocks at Tripura following the 2011 census without any prior contact with the Tripura Govt. The 15 backward Blocks identified are – Rupaichhari RD Block, Dumburnagar, Hezamara, Ompi, Karbuk, Chhamanu, Mungiakami, Damchhara, Jampuijala, Dasda, Manu, Tulashikhar, Padmabil, Penchartal, and Mandai.

Earlier on July 21, 2014 MoRD, Govt. of India issued a letter with the Tripura govt. to identify 15 backward Blocks from the state where the MGNREGA scheme will continue. But later on August 20, 2014 the MoRD, Govt. of Tripura via a letter requested the centre to consider 23 Blocks as backward, mentioning that the 23 blocks are falling under the jurisdiction of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), where more than 90 percent of the population belongs to the Scheduled Tribes.

However at last without any prior notification to the state govt., Central govt. had already identified the 15 backward Blocks, said Minister Naresh Ch. Jamatia. Asked about the sharpest ever fund cut for the rural job scheme in Tripura, Minister naresh jamatia said that the state govt. has wrote many  a times to the centre to increase the fund allocation, but the Govt. of India has not considered it yet, therefore the Tripura Govt. does not support the decision by any means.

It is to be mentioned here that the Union govt. has severely cut the funds for MGNREGA Scheme in Tripura. And for the current financial year (FY) the union govt. has allocated Rs. 652 crore to implement the MGNREGA. But the state govt.  asked for Rs. 1400 crore for the MGNREGA fund allocation, said Minister Mr. Jamatia on Tuesday.

It is also to be mentioned here that Minister Naresh Jamatia during the month of September wrote to Union Rural development Minister Nitin Gadkari to increase the allocation mentioning that if it is not considered than the state will face acute financial crunch in giving jobs to the rural people. And earlier many a times Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, the first CM has officially lodged his protest against the Centre’s plan to squeeze the spread of MGNREGA and tweaked some of its provisions.

However, but to comment here on the issue of MGNREGA Scheme, Tripura Govt. had recently faced a severe obstacle on Bishalgarh RD Block Rs. 50 crore MGNREGA scam, where Tripura CM Manik Sarkar’s close aide Bimal Chakroborty had been arrested for his involvement in the scam. And along with other several scams had turned the state Tripura recently into hub of corruptions.  Therefore does any question arise for the state govt. to stand tall till now and make a protest of the central allocation on MGNREGA scheme? Beside does writing to the centre to increase the fund allocation, an another decision of the Tripura Govt. to welcome corruption?