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Dimapur, Feb. 14 (EMN): The Kohima Village Council (KVC) has urged the department of Rural Development to release the entire MGNREGA budget sanctioned by the government of India to the villages and ensure its full utilisation.
In a representation addressed to the chief minister, the council stated that there should not be deduction of money from work orders. “It is surprising that the department is demanding 80% of the material component cost from the work orders issued. This illegal deduction must be investigated and stopped forthwith.”
According to the council, the primary purpose of implementing MGNREGA is to reach out to the poor, ensure livelihood security for the rural poor, empower the socially disadvantaged; social protection for the most vulnerable population, unemployed, under privileged etc. “Unfortunately, these targeted groups are sadly not given priority in Nagaland. The council insists that there should be no VIP or general category. On the contrary, there must be provision for differently-able category, vulnerable women, senior citizens as provided under the programme.
“MGNREGA has special provisions for the disabled or differently-able under ‘Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act 1995’. Unfortunately, the benefit of this programme is yet to reach them. Widowed, deserted and destitute women are highly vulnerable and require special attention. The needs of these groups of vulnerable section of the society have not been addressed,” read the statement.
It maintained that there should be only one yardstick/criteria for generating job-cards as per central pattern. “The muster roll, which is necessary for all works executed under MGNREGA, must be genuine. Astonishingly, there are lakhs of forged signatures by the VDBs at the directive of the department every year! The RD department has normalised the crime of forged signatures! This is a serious offense and while condemning it in the strongest terms, the KVC urges the government to take swift measures to stop this outrageous practice immediately,” it stated.
Also, the department must ‘cease furnishing false attendance reports of works done at the work site on the muster roll, the council stated. “This involves more than a mind-boggling 4.36 lakh population of job-card holders in the state every year involving 1250 villages councils and VDB in Nagaland.” It urged the government to strengthen village councils in Nagaland. “Regrettably, there is no capacity building, no financial assistance nor administrative cost provided to the village councils despite such provisions available under the programme.”