Chiefs say no to MGNREGS fund cut
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 03, 2012:
Voicing strong opposition against deduction and transferring of 25 percent of MGNREGS fund from the villages account to District Council members account, the Senapati District Villages Chairman/Secretaries Association today decided to demand the authorities concerned and line department to immediately release the deducted 25 percent of MGNREGS funds before August 15 failing which a 48-hour total bandh in Senapati District would be imposed from morning of August 16. This was resolved by the members during a general body meeting at TNK Senapati Village Community hall.
The meeting was attended by over 150 Village chairman/secretaries consisting of 228 members from the 3 sub-divisions of Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul.
It also decided that economic blockade will soon follow if no steps are taken up to address the demand within the stipulated time.
It may be recalled that, the Association's JAC formed on July 25, this year, during a meeting decided to pursue the case of deducting 25 percent from the Village NREGS funds within 10 days' time.
However it is learnt that funds had been already deducted and transferred into the accounts of the ADC members stated a source.
According to the association, a complaint letter was also submitted to the RD&PR Minister Francis Ngajokpa dated 16th July, 2012 but no positive response has been received till date.
Consequently, an emergency meeting was convened today to discuss the matter and it was decided to set a deadline and launch democratic agitations to protest against such move of the State Government.
Earlier, the Naga People's Organization (NPO) had also expressed its opposition to any diversions of the MGNREGS funds to any group or ADC members.
The Paomata block village Chairman/Secy.
has also protested against the deduction of 25% of funds by ADC members and had sought for immediate released of the remaining funds, failing which it has threatened to boycott the ADC members.