Tripura govt not providing half of stipulated works under MGNREGA: Congress

Agartala (The Uttam Hindu): Opposition Congress in Tripura on Saturday claimed that the people in the rural areas are facing serious financial hardship as the state government is not providing half of the work days stipulated in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Tripura Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha said that the BJP government was bound to provide 100 work days in a year under the MGNREGA but the state government so far provided only 40 days in the current financial year (2024-25).

During the last financial year, the state government provided 63 days even as MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of work to rural households, he told the media. Saha said that the BJP government before the 2018 Assembly polls promised to increase the work days to 200 and per day wages to Rs 340. “BJP government not only failed to fulfil its electoral promise but also failed to provide guaranteed 100 days work to the distressed poor people.

Over 6,83,860 job card holder people of 1,30,667 families did not get one day work so far under the MGNREGA,” the state Congress chief said. He alleged that the leaders of the ruling BJP are guiding the officials to provide work to certain people depriving the genuine poor workers.

Saha said that amidst the enormous price rise of food grains, essentials and all other commodities, the MGNREGA is the only source of income for the rural people and the state government utterly failed to provide economic support to the hapless people including the tribals. The economic situation in tribal and interior areas is grimmer with the backward tribals facing tremendous hardship as they are more deprived of getting work under the MGNREGA, the Congress leader pointed out.

The state government also did not provide reasonable support to the 20 lakh people who were severely affected during the catastrophic floods and landslides in August. The devastating floods in Tripura had left at least 40 people, including women and children, dead, and several others injured in landslides and drowning in six districts.