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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | NREGA bears brunt of Trinamool-CPM tussle in Bengal by Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay

NREGA bears brunt of Trinamool-CPM tussle in Bengal by Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay

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published Published on Dec 5, 2011   modified Modified on Dec 5, 2011

The Assembly elections this year, followed by squabbles and tussles between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the CPM at various gram panchayats and panchayat samitis after the regime change, have spelt doom for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in West Bengal.

In the seven months from April 1 to October 31, only 19 days of jobs could be given to 2.55 lakh families and 4.17 crore mandays could be created. But last year, as many as 31 days of jobs could be given to 49.98 lakh families and 15.53 crore mandays were created.

While in the past seven months, Rs 951 crore was spent on this scheme aimed at alleviating rural poverty, Rs 2,533 crore was spent in the last fiscal. In 2009-10, the total amount spent on the scheme was Rs 2,110 crore.

“During elections, nothing much can be done. But though five months of this year are still left, the pace is slow because of political problems at the grassroot level. Many of the gram panchayats and panchayat samitis are in the hands of the CPM and there is a continuous tussle between the government and rural bodies. Many panchayat pradhans of the CPM have fled their villages and work in the respective gram panchayats have been stalled. That is why we have an abysmal record,’’ a senior official of the department of panchayats and rural department told The Indian Express.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is visiting various district headquarters regularly, did not invite the sabhadhipati of North 24 Parganas district and the chairman of Howrah Municipal Corporation (both of whom belong to the CPM) when she was on tour of these two districts recently and held meetings with officials there.

Maoist-affected Purulia district recorded 26 days of jobs created, the highest among districts this year, according to the panchayat department, belying an oft-repeated government claim that terrorist activities halted the growth of development in such districts. As for the other two LWE-affected districts, Bankura recorded 22 days, and West Midnapore 18.

Chandranath Singh, state minister for panchayat and rural development, admitted that the feud between the two political parties had slowed the pace of the scheme. “Some panchayat pradhans have been caught. But apart from that, there is a shortage of manpower also. But I can assure you we will soon overcome these problems,’’ Singh told The Indian Express.

The central government allots 90 per cent of the money spent on this scheme while the state government provides the remaining 10 per cent. In West Bengal, Rs 130 is given as daily wage to one person. Last year the amount was Rs 100. In December 2009, the daily wage was Rs 81, at the end of that year it was increased to Rs 87.

The Indian Express, 6 December, 2011, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nrega-bears-brunt-of-trinamoolcpm-tussle-in-bengal/884562/


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