News Analysis India

Tag: MNREGA

  • Centre should do away with GST if it can’t clear our dues: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI

    JHARGRAM: Launching a tirade against the BJP-led Union government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Centre should do away with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime if it is unable to clear the dues it owed to the state.

    Banerjee wondered if she would have to “beg” to get the dues cleared.

    Addressing a rally in the tribal-dominated Belpahari area of the Jhargram district, she said the BJP-led government must either make the payment or the party must step down from the seat of power.

    “They are not releasing funds under the MNREGA scheme. The BJP has to step down from power if it does not clear our dues. The Centre must scrap GST if it is can’t clear the state’s dues (‘Jodi amader bokeya na dey, tahole bondo kore dik GST’). They are not doing us any favour by giving us GST dues; it is people’s money that they have taken through GST,” she said at the birth anniversary programme of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

    Banerjee said that she had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the matter.

    “We had agreed on implementing the GST; we thought the Centre would clear our dues. But now the Centre is taking away all money collected as GST but not giving us our dues. I had met the Prime Minister and requested him, but nothing moved forward. Are we supposed to beg for it? “Why should we pay GST if the Centre is not clearing our dues? If the Centre can’t give us the money, we can also stop paying GST. (Amrao tho bondho kore dite pari, keno GST tax debo?) The country is for the people, not for politicians. This is not BJP’s money,” she said.

    Listing out schemes, “under which funds have been withheld”, Banerjee said the Union government is constitutionally bound to pay the state for the 100-day work scheme.

    “I would like to tell the central government that releasing funds for the 100-day work scheme is a constitutional norm. The Centre must pay; it is not an obligation, but a compulsion as the law has been passed by both Houses of the Parliament,” she said.

    Hitting out at Bengal BJP leadership for asserting that it would ensure the Centre stopped fund flow to the state, Banerjee sought to know if that money was “personal property” of saffron party leaders.

    Later, interacting with the locals, Banerjee claimed that shortage of central funds was the primary reason for the piped water project under Jal Jeevan Mission to have come to a halt.

    “By 2024, all the houses were to get piped drinking water. But the Centre has stopped giving funds, which is why the project has come to a halt. Once they pay, we will start implementing it. We are fighting against the injustice meted out to us by the Centre,” she said.

    Meanwhile, reacting to Banerjee’s allegations, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said fund flow was stopped as the TMC government failed to submit utilisation certificates on the money spent under MNREGA.

    “Let the state government first submit the utilization certificate for the funds received earlier; only then it will start receiving funds again,” Sinha said.

    Earlier in the day, Banerjee had tweeted that Munda taught people the importance of respecting and protecting indigenous rights.

    “I pay my humble respects to ‘Dharti Aba’, brave revolutionary Birsa Munda on his Birth Anniversary. As a true son of the soil, he taught us the importance of respecting and protecting indigenous rights. May we continue to be steadfast on the path shown by him. Jai Johar!” she wrote.

    JHARGRAM: Launching a tirade against the BJP-led Union government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the Centre should do away with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime if it is unable to clear the dues it owed to the state.

    Banerjee wondered if she would have to “beg” to get the dues cleared.

    Addressing a rally in the tribal-dominated Belpahari area of the Jhargram district, she said the BJP-led government must either make the payment or the party must step down from the seat of power.

    “They are not releasing funds under the MNREGA scheme. The BJP has to step down from power if it does not clear our dues. The Centre must scrap GST if it is can’t clear the state’s dues (‘Jodi amader bokeya na dey, tahole bondo kore dik GST’). They are not doing us any favour by giving us GST dues; it is people’s money that they have taken through GST,” she said at the birth anniversary programme of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

    Banerjee said that she had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the matter.

    “We had agreed on implementing the GST; we thought the Centre would clear our dues. But now the Centre is taking away all money collected as GST but not giving us our dues. I had met the Prime Minister and requested him, but nothing moved forward. Are we supposed to beg for it? “Why should we pay GST if the Centre is not clearing our dues? If the Centre can’t give us the money, we can also stop paying GST. (Amrao tho bondho kore dite pari, keno GST tax debo?) The country is for the people, not for politicians. This is not BJP’s money,” she said.

    Listing out schemes, “under which funds have been withheld”, Banerjee said the Union government is constitutionally bound to pay the state for the 100-day work scheme.

    “I would like to tell the central government that releasing funds for the 100-day work scheme is a constitutional norm. The Centre must pay; it is not an obligation, but a compulsion as the law has been passed by both Houses of the Parliament,” she said.

    Hitting out at Bengal BJP leadership for asserting that it would ensure the Centre stopped fund flow to the state, Banerjee sought to know if that money was “personal property” of saffron party leaders.

    Later, interacting with the locals, Banerjee claimed that shortage of central funds was the primary reason for the piped water project under Jal Jeevan Mission to have come to a halt.

    “By 2024, all the houses were to get piped drinking water. But the Centre has stopped giving funds, which is why the project has come to a halt. Once they pay, we will start implementing it. We are fighting against the injustice meted out to us by the Centre,” she said.

    Meanwhile, reacting to Banerjee’s allegations, BJP leader Rahul Sinha said fund flow was stopped as the TMC government failed to submit utilisation certificates on the money spent under MNREGA.

    “Let the state government first submit the utilization certificate for the funds received earlier; only then it will start receiving funds again,” Sinha said.

    Earlier in the day, Banerjee had tweeted that Munda taught people the importance of respecting and protecting indigenous rights.

    “I pay my humble respects to ‘Dharti Aba’, brave revolutionary Birsa Munda on his Birth Anniversary. As a true son of the soil, he taught us the importance of respecting and protecting indigenous rights. May we continue to be steadfast on the path shown by him. Jai Johar!” she wrote.

  • Government to promote development of climate resilient structures under MNREGA: officials 

    The official also said that Geographic Information System (GIS)-based planning at gram panchayat level is now an integral part of the planning process under the MNREGA.

  • Bhupesh Baghel is reviewing MNREGA, Narva Vikas, Gothan and Rural Landless Mazdoor Nyay Yojana with senior officials at his residence office here today

    Bhupesh Baghel is reviewing MGNREGA, Narva Vikas, Gothan and Rural Landless Mazdoor Nyay Scheme with senior officials at his residence office here today.
    On this occasion Agriculture Minister Shri Ravindra Choubey, Revenue Minister Shri Jaisingh Agarwal, Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Subrata Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Smt. Renu Ji Pillay, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Shri Rakesh Chaturvedi, Principal Secretary Forest Shri Manoj Pingua, Secretary Panchayat and Rural Development Shri Prasanna R, Secretary Water Resources Shri Avinash Champawat, Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Siddharth Komal Singh Pardeshi and senior departmental officers are present.

  • More than 98 lakh 8 thousand works approved under MNREGA

    Kundla, Kohkameta and Nednar of Orchha development block under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to provide employment to the poor and needy people of the district during the Corona period.
    For works in Gram Panchayat, 6 works worth 11 lakh 18 thousand have been approved. On the other hand, approval of Rs 87 lakh 62 thousand for 16 construction works in village Badjamhari, Tadopal, Turtha, Kadhagaon, Puswalpara, Kotgaon, Kudhargaon, Borand, Sonpur, Khadkagaon, Bharanda, Sulenga (Dhaudai), Atargaon, Bhatpal and Brehbeda of Narayanpur block. has been given. Following the provisions of the scheme, instructions have been given to the implementing agency, Janpad Panchayat Narayanpur/Orchha to complete all these works within the stipulated time frame.

  • Employment provided through MNREGA to about 84072 laborers of the district

    Under the guidance of Mahadev Kavre and under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, District Panchayat Shri KS Mandavi, employment is being provided to the villagers under MNREGA in various development blocks of Jashpur district. Today, a total of 84072 villagers have been provided employment under the MNREGA scheme. Accordingly, 22228 in the development block garden, 5296 in Duldula, 8647 in Jashpur, 9964 in Kansabel, 9041 in Kunakuri, 9413 in Manora, 8781 in Pathalgaon, and 10702 in Farsabhar have provided employment to villagers. The aim of the district administration is to provide employment to the local people near their residence through MNREGA and they do not have to wander for work. The district administration is constantly trying to achieve the target of providing employment to 1 lakh laborers in the district.
    It is noteworthy that the Collector Shri Kavre has encouraged the Panchayat Secretaries in all the development blocks of the district to provide employment to the villagers by sanctioning more employment oriented work under MNREGA. He has instructed all Panchayat level officers to provide 100 days employment to maximum families in MNREGA and 200 days to forest rights holders, giving information about various schemes. Besides, the Collector instructed all the sarpanch-secretaries to increase the number of laborers in the pending works of the last financial year and in the approved works of this year and to complete the work expeditiously. All the secretaries, sarpanch, are providing work to the people in their panchayats by accepting works like Dabri, pond construction, pond deepening, well construction, land leveling, Narva development, community toilets, Boulder Dame, Brushhood, Check Dame, Grabian Bridge . As a result, the number of laborers in MNREGA works has increased.

  • MNREGA well changed food and taste of life

    The taste of both food and life of Sri Dika Prasad of Potka village in Surguja has changed. Now she is beginning to taste and enjoy more than ever in the hand craft of life partner Mrs. Lakshmania. And why don’t you come! Ultimately, these are their own farms, which Dika Prasad has grown for the first time in association with Lakshmania and is watered and decorated with water from her well made of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). The life of this family has changed since the well was excavated in the enclosure of the house from MNREGA. Now Dika Prasad has started being called vegetable producer farmer.

    Dika Prasad and Lakshmania, a farmer from Potka, 20 km from the headquarters of Lakhanpur development block in Surguja district, live with their two children. This change in his life started about two years ago. Before digging the well, he was able to grow only the family’s paddy in the kharif season in the two-acre field adjacent to his house. Due to no means of irrigation, this land was lying vacant at the other time. Lakshmania also had to struggle hard for the daily water needs for the whole family. He had to fill the water with a public hand pump 300 meters from the house in the morning and evening.

  • 52 thousand laborers given work in MNREGA district

    When the lockdown was imposed during the outbreak of Corona epidemic in the country, thousands of laborers of the district were provided work through Mahatma Gandhi NREGA providing employment to the village laborers. In which works related to beneficiary oriented and livelihoods have been done under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. There are mainly pond deepening, dabari construction, panchayat building, anganwadi, water conservation and irrigation drain etc. A total of 52231 laborers are working in 649 works in the district under the guidance of Collector and District Coordinator of Mahatmagandhi NREGA Shri Shiv Anant Tayal and under the leadership of District Panchayat CEO Smt Rita Yadav.
    The farmers and laborers of the village are retiring from farming, farming and paddy harvest work and reaching the work of MNREGA. As on 10 February 2021, a total of 52231 laborers are working in 649 works in 328 gram panchayats of 429 gram panchayats of Bemetara, Nawagarh, Saja, Berla, respectively, in the four district panchayats of the district. In which, out of 110 gram panchayats of district panchayat Bemetara, 93 gram panchayat 12774, 83 gram panchayats of Nawagarh, 14539 in panchayat, 13136 in 85 gram panchayat in 106 gram panchayats in Saja and 67 gram in 102 gram panchayats of Berla. There are 11782 laborers working in the panchayat.
    In which works are mainly being done for construction of Panchayat building, water conservation, new pond deepening, dabri construction, frog bunting, Narva Bandhan etc. The aim of the district administration is that the local laborers get employment in their village itself and they do not have to wander for work. For this, more and more works are being sanctioned through MNREGA.

  • Highest ever spending under MNREGA during FY21: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has removed all ills from the rural-employment guarantee scheme MNREGA and spent highest ever about Rs 90,500 crore so far this fiscal.

    Replying to the Budget debate in the Rajya Sabha, the minister attacked the opposition Congress failing to utilise the entire amount allocated in the Budgets when they were in power.

    ALSO READ | Nirmala Sitharaman slams Opposition for creating false narrative, says govt working for poor sections

    She said during the COVID pandemic year, the government has spent Rs 90,469 crore under the MNREGA rural employment scheme, which highest ever.

    Sitharaman said for 2020-21, the budget estimate was Rs 61,500 crore for the scheme, which has been increased to Rs 1,11,500 in the revised estimates.

    “Your track record is bad. Never your budget estimate was met,” the finance minister said as she reeled out data from 2009-10 and subsequent years under the Congress-led UPA regime.

  • MNREGA converts 34 acres of land from a cropped crop to bifacial fields

    Tribal farmers Mr. Chhote Lal, Mr. Tulsi Das and Mr. Ramashankar are witnessing a miracle in their lives. At the village of Deogarh, 105 km from the district headquarters of Korea, when they look at their fields, the harvest of the wheat wheat brings tears of joy to their eyes. Just wait for some time and for the first time they will be able to eat bread made of wheat flour grown in their own field, and earn extra by selling the crop. These are the same lands that they used to leave for many years only after the kharif crop, because without water there was not a single sprout. These farmers did not even think in their dreams that Rabi crops will also be brought on their land.

    Not only are these three farmers in the Baiga tribal-dominated Deogarh of Vananchal Bharatpur development block in Koriya district, whose fields still look green. Ten farmers of both the villages of Deogarh and Janua on both sides of Nala are being irrigated on 34 acres of land from the Stopdem made by MNREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) on Pachni Nala. With this stopdam, a total of 15 acres of seven farmers of Janua, Mr. Dinesh Singh, Balicharan Singh, Ramdas Singh, Prafulla Singh, Bhagwan Das, Budhu Singh and Smt. Is getting water for irrigation during the Rabi season.

  • Nearly 78 thousand laborers of the district have been given employment in MNREGA

    Under the guidance of Mahadev Kavre and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, Shri K.S. In the direction of Mandavi, work is being sanctioned to give maximum work under MNREGA to the villagers in various development blocks of Jashpur district. In the village, works of dabari construction, well construction, pond deepening, fencing, narwabandhan, land leveling are being sanctioned and they are being linked to employment. At present, about 78 thousand to 85 thousand villagers have been given employment under MGNREGA every day and a target has been set to provide employment to 1 lakh laborers.
    The aim of the district administration is that the local laborers get employment in their village itself and they do not have to wander away from work. For this, more works are being sanctioned under MNREGA.