Hills in stir mode over MGNREGA fund denial
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, February 03 2022: Ahead of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly election/the state could witness intense agitation including imposition of bandh along with the national highways as villages in the hills are set to support the Manipur Panchayat Parishad's stir over non-release of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) pending fund by the state government.

Chiefs of villages in Kangpokpi district held a crucial meeting on Thursday here in the presence of Manipur Panchayat Parishad functionaries over non-release of the pending fund.

Consequent to a threadbare discussion, the meeting unanimously resolved to support the agitation being spearheaded by Manipur Panchayat Parishad after getting positive response from village chiefs of other districts.

Addressing the media, Champhai Block Chiefs/Chairmen Association vice president Laxmi Khatiwoda said that the meeting deliberated minutely over non-release of MGNREGA pending fund by the state government and ultimately decided to support and endorse the stir being spearheaded by Manipur Panchayat Parishad.

He said that a unanimous decision was arrived at during the meet to begin intense forms of agitation including highway bandh from February 9 if the state government fails to release the pending amount of Rs 113.87 crore meant for payment of MGNREGA wages, already sanctioned by the Centre, by February 8.He also pointed out that the Centre had already sanctioned Rs 333,08,74,000 on August 25, 2021 to the state government as central assistance for implementation of the MGNREGA for the financial year 2021-22 and directed the state government to transfer the fund along with the state's share.

However, the state government released Rs 87 crore only against the sanctioned amount in August last year while withholding Rs 113.87 crore meant for payment of wages to job-cards of MGNREGA, he added.

Mention may be made here that Manipur Panchayat Parishad and elected Panchayati Raj func -tionaries across the six valley districts of Manipur including Jiribam have already resorted to various form of agitations against non-release of MGNREGA funds.

Apart from boycotting Republic Day celebration, the Parishad also imposed a 38-hour bandh in Panchayat covered areas of the six districts on January 27 .

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