AHTA Urges Manipur Govt to Pay 43 days MGNREGS Fund; Warns to Take up Intense Agitations Effective April 13

With Ukhrul district job card holders yet to receive the 43 working days amount due to them under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) even as it had apprised the State Government and concerned Minister about the matter on numerous occasions, The All Hunphun Tang Association (AHTA) had urged the state government to sanction the due amount.

The apex body of the 28 Hunphun Tang/ localities then warned the state government of intense agitations and exuded confidence that the dismayed job card holders of the district are ever ready to join and support the crusade as long neglected people gears up to register their strong dissatisfaction with the State Government.

“The Manipur State Government and District Administration will be held solely responsible for any untoward incidents,” referring to public rallies events, the body warned.

Briefing media persons, Qr. Chonmi Raleng, president AHTA said that he had personally met Rural Development (RD) Minister Biswajit at Khayang village on April 5 (Monday) and had apprised him of intense agitations should pending 43 days MGNREGS wages amount fail to reach the beneficiaries.

“The Minister had verbally assured that “485 crore amount had been sanctioned” and the paper for the same will be dispatch at the earliest. Till date, however, there is no any intimidations from the concerned minister about the tall promises,” Qr. Chonmi alleged and added that they are being treated the same way the elders treat a crying babies by consoling and luring to buy goodies so that the bady stops wailing. This is not done!

Recalling the background, AHTA Administration secretary Angam R. Shimray said that RD Minister, Government of Manipur had assured August last year that government will pay the liabilities of 50 days wages upon completion of the works. However of the total 50 days only the amount for seven days had been paid so far even after the lapse of six months.

Also read: MGNREGA workers stage sit-in protest in Ukhrul town, demand clearance of wage arrears

Talking about the hardships faced by the unemployed returnees following Covid outbreak, Shimray asserted that those unemployed youths who have attained the age of 18 and are willing to work should be given a job card so that hardships faced by them is mitigated.

He continued that on the public rally day (April 13), the body would submit a memorandum to the RD minister through the deputy commissioner Ukhrul, and warned that state government and district administration would be held accountable for any untoward incidents.

The present government does not seem to listen to the voice of the public, the body further alleged, and questioned the stoic silence maintained by the district MLAs who were elected by the people to stand and represent the voice of the voiceless.

Hill MLAs need to partake in the rallies to show their concerns for the people and feel their pulse.

Meanwhile, the body questioned the sincerity and accountability of the government and sought to know where it had utilize the amount sanction by the centre government. “Amount not utilize would have gone to centre.”

Financial year for 2020 has already ended. Offering piecemeal amount to the people would not serve the purpose. Political dictate is not what we want. A clean government has become a farce, the body lamented while urging to do what is needed for the people.