Controversy over NREGA

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 14: Cooch Behar district received Rs 46.15-crore in three instalments since May of this year for employment generation to ensure job for 100-day in a year to rural people. The fund was extended under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). But, till now, Rs 8.9-crore only was spent in different employment generation schemes according to the latest NREGA progress report.

 

The poor performance of NREGA schemes has evoked sharp reactions from different quarters.

 

President of Cooch Behar District Congress Mr Shyamal Chaudhury termed the expenditure shown in the report as mere paperwork only. He alleged that rural people are yet to get the benefit from the NREGA schemes. The scheme has brought an opportunity to the ruling party to keep control over the rural unemployed people by luring them of jobs, he said.

 

The CPI-M controlled gram panchayats may use the fund before the ensuing three-tier panchayat elections to bring the rural voters to act for them. The huge fund extended by the Centre will be used to purchase votes, Mr Chaudhury alleged.

 

President of Cooch Behar District Trinamul Congress Mr Rabindra Nath Ghosh alleged that the NREGA plan lost its objective in this district. He alleged that large-scale corruption is going on over distributing of Job Cards. More than eighty percent people are yet to get their Job Cards. Mere possession of Job Cards cannot ensure getting of jobs. The CPI-M is controlling the whole matter. A CPI-M supporter can get fake Job Cards and it is also possible to get Job Cards on hire, he alleged.

 

Mr Ghosh also alleged that the cadres of ruling party are forcing rural people to give subscriptions to their party fund from the money received against working in any NREGA scheme. A large number of unemployed rural people are still leaving this district to seek jobs in outer provinces. Proper and corruption-free implementation of NREGA schemes may stop the outflow of the poor people, he opined.

 

President of Cooch Behar district unit of BJP Mr Nityananda Munsi demanded implementation of NREGA schemes in all villages to ensure jobs to the poor people. He sharply criticised the ruling party for making the process slow to get political mileage.

 

Denying political interventions in implementing of the NREGA scheme the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha said commencement of the scheme was delayed largely due to official formalities and documentations. The recent monsoon was also a factor to slow down the progress. At present the scheme is running smoothly, he claimed. Replying a question over corruption in issuing of Job Cards the DM assured that proper steps would be taken after receiving of any specific complaint.

 

  Sabhadhipati of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad and also a secretariat member of district CPI-M Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda too claimed that monsoon was the factor that delayed the progress of NREGA scheme here. The villagers were busy in tilling or harvesting and so they did not come up to get the benefit of the NREGA jobs. Now, the situation is changing and it will turn to better within one month, he said. He turned down the allegations of the opposition parties that the CPI-M controlled panchayat bodies played a role to get political mileage from the Central scheme. []

 

Road mishap

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 14: One Alamgir Hossain (14), a student of Class-VII at Jorabari High School in Dinhata was knocked down to death by a speeding lorry today when he was returning home riding a bicycle after attending the marriage ceremony of his maternal uncle. Vehicular traffic was disrupted along Dinhata bypass road following the incident. The driver of the lorry is absconding leaving the overturned vehicle. []

 

Conference

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 14: Sate PWD minister and a veteran RSP leader Mr Kshiti Goswami inaugurated the seventh triennial state conference of Joint Council of State Government Employees' Associations and Unions at McWilliam Institute Hall in Alipurduar today. A large gathering was also held on the occasion. State social welfare minister Mr Biswanath Chaudhury, Alipurduar MLA Mr Nirmal Das and others spoke at the gathering.

 

In his address Mr Goswami alleged that the Left Front is deviating from its declared stance and also making compromises everywhere. It is using the power of the state to snatch away the earned rights of the people. Nandigram and Singur are examples of the process, he alleged. []