According to protesters, the MGNREGA funds have been released irregularly and it has caused lots of hardship. As such, the job card holders under the scheme have not been getting the wages on time
TFM Report
Panchachat and Zilla Parishad members along with MGNREGA job card-holders on Wednesday staged a road blockades in their localities disrupting normal lives in rural areas.
Demanding the state government to release funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for 2020-2021, members of Panchayati Raj Institutes (PRI) had warned of stir in six valley districts.
They have been staging sits-in at various locations demanding the government to release the honorarium of the staff for October 2019 to March 2021.
According to protesters, the MGNREGA funds have been released irregularly and it has caused lots of hardship. As such, the job card holders under the scheme have not been getting the wages on time.
On March 18, the union government sanctioned Rs 485.5 crore for MGNREGA 2020-21. The concerned authorities, including the finance minister, have been approached in this regard but have fallen to deaf ears, alleged the protesters urged the government to address the problem at the earliest.
Drawing the attention of union minister for rural development, an open letter had been shot off over non-release of funds for liabilities of MGNREGA regarding 1st and 2nd installments of the 1st trench of central assistance for the financial year 2020-21.
The letter written Zilla Parishad member of 14-Uchekon Nongchup Zilla Parishad Seram Neken urged the RD minister to direct the authority concerned to pay the required honorarium of the elected panchayat members and also to release the required liability of MGNREGS of each implementing agency through their respective district for the financial year 2021 at the earliest for the end of justice
The rate of honorarium of each Zilla Parishad Member is Rs. 9000/- per month, Rs. 8000/- for each Pradhan and Rs. 3000/- for each ward member only. The very act of the Government of Manipur has amounted to weaken the Panchayati Raj which is against the Indian Constitution.
The Government of Manipur has intentionally failed to release the funds to the respective districts till date which has caused inconveniences to the implementing agencies as well as job cardholders, alleged the zilla parishad member.