TIWN Sep 15, 2017
AGARTALA, Sep 15 (TIWN): Since few days, Tripura Communist Chief Minister is asking instead of getting 1st prize in MGNREGA, Tripura's funds under the project are being slashed ? But what is the link between Mandays and fund-slashing ? Workers' payments now due to direct funding go to the beneficiary directly but fund is related to the project work's development which depends upon the utilization certificate.
CPI-M Govt has started not only fooling the poor but also indulging them in MGNREGA protests, making them afraid about opposition saying, "If BJP comes, then no MGNREGA-work will be given to the poor properly. Adding sympathy Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has also directed to add a protest in demand of hiking the wages of the workers up to 300 rupees. This is the way, CPI-M Govt has started revolutionary protest with MGNREGA workers and before the election MGNREGA working days have also increased tremendously to keep the poor people happy.
"We have been forced to launch the agitation against the huge cut in Centre's share in MGNREGA funds. The sit-ins were held in all 58 blocks in the state," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar told the media here.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said on Thursday, "CPI-M is a govt of poor people. Tripura has set example in MGNREGA, whereas other states are far behind from Tripura. Our mandays are around 80 % but other states hardly doing 48 to 50 mandays".
However, CM didn't mention 'more mandays reflects the poor economy of a state'.
He said that CPI-M leaders Gautam Das, Rama Das, Narayan Kar and Pabitra Kar addressed the protesters in different blocks.Gautam Das said that Tripura led in providing jobs under MGNREGA in the past but the Centre had sharply reduced its share in the scheme in the 2017-18 fiscal, forcing the north-eastern state to ensure work only for a maximum of 42 days this year.
As a result a serious job crisis has emerged in rural Tripura where no big and medium industries exist.
Bijan Dhar said that all states in the country were facing a similar situation but no political party other than the CPI-M was raising the issue or asking the central government to act in a more considerate manner on the MGNREGAscheme.
The MGNREGA, introduced in February 2006 by the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, mandates 100 days of work in a financial year to at least one member of each rural household.
The scheme aims to generate rural assets and create rural infrastructure like roads, ponds and water reservoirs.
The CPI-M has demanded an increase in the number of work days to 200 under the scheme and a hike in wages to at least Rs 300 per day.
According to state government officials, Left-ruled Tripura had occupied the top spot in providing jobs under MGNREGA for seven consecutive years till 2015-16 fiscal, but slipped to second position (after Mizoram) with 79.88 person days per household in the last fiscal.
The state has been able to provide only 22 days of work during the current fiscal.
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