Express News Service
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government’s initiative to provide jobs to MGNREGA job card holders without Centre’s fund has fallen flat as the state could ensure 18 days of work to only 28.44 lakh workers. The figure suggests that it is impossible to match the MGNREGA in generating jobs for rural people as 1.5 crore of them are job card holders.
A report mentioning the poor show in providing jobs was submitted in Nabanna, the state secretariat, on November 2 and next day, chief secretary H. K. Dwivedi wrote to secretaries of all departments saying, “As per the online data available, job card holders engaged by all executing departments is not satisfactory.’’
Dwivedi asked secretaries of the departments to hire unskilled labourers with MGNREGA job cards. The state government started engaging MGNREGA job card holders in schemes of its departments after the Centre froze funds citing misappropriation.
“About 1.5 crore job card holders in the state got at least 40 days of work on average in the past few years. The state’s initiative to provide jobs sounds good at a time when central funds are not available, but the state alone can’t provide jobs to 1.5 crore people. Though the chief secretary directed to hire unskilled labourers, but in reality it is not possible. The state’s financial condition does not allow it to undertake major projects. Bengal’s austerity drive doesn’t allow most of the departments to take up projects worth over Rs 30 lakh,’’ said an official of the state government.
Another official said that departments like the PWD and the PHE with large projects hire contractors who have their own workers. The construction of roads, bridges and buildings mostly require skilled labourers. The state government issued instructions to panchayat functionaries to recover misappropriated central funds and asked to lodge an FIR, if necessary. The instruction was followed by the Centre’s recommendation.
Didi’s ‘ekla cholo’ fails
Centre stops releasing funds under MGNREGA since December, 2021, citing irregularities
Total job card holders: 1.5 crore
WB govt claimed Rs 1.3 lakh crore due from Centre till date
State government directs MLAs and MPs to use their fund for constructing houses for poors and roads
Bengal govt passes a bill to amend the West Bengal Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2010,to enhance its borrowing capacity to meet the crisis triggered by Centre’s pause on fund release
For the first time, government decides to include issue of malpractice and its consequences in the training syllabus for candidates who will be elected in next year’s rural polls
CM Mamata Banerjee directs gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads to initiate works for creating job opportunities using own funds
Bengal govt decides to close incomplete projects failed to meet deadline
For the first time since the launch of the drive titled duare Sarkar (government on doorstep), the fifth edition of the initiative doesn’t have any window for job scheme
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government’s initiative to provide jobs to MGNREGA job card holders without Centre’s fund has fallen flat as the state could ensure 18 days of work to only 28.44 lakh workers. The figure suggests that it is impossible to match the MGNREGA in generating jobs for rural people as 1.5 crore of them are job card holders.
A report mentioning the poor show in providing jobs was submitted in Nabanna, the state secretariat, on November 2 and next day, chief secretary H. K. Dwivedi wrote to secretaries of all departments saying, “As per the online data available, job card holders engaged by all executing departments is not satisfactory.’’
Dwivedi asked secretaries of the departments to hire unskilled labourers with MGNREGA job cards. The state government started engaging MGNREGA job card holders in schemes of its departments after the Centre froze funds citing misappropriation.
“About 1.5 crore job card holders in the state got at least 40 days of work on average in the past few years. The state’s initiative to provide jobs sounds good at a time when central funds are not available, but the state alone can’t provide jobs to 1.5 crore people. Though the chief secretary directed to hire unskilled labourers, but in reality it is not possible. The state’s financial condition does not allow it to undertake major projects. Bengal’s austerity drive doesn’t allow most of the departments to take up projects worth over Rs 30 lakh,’’ said an official of the state government.
Another official said that departments like the PWD and the PHE with large projects hire contractors who have their own workers. The construction of roads, bridges and buildings mostly require skilled labourers. The state government issued instructions to panchayat functionaries to recover misappropriated central funds and asked to lodge an FIR, if necessary. The instruction was followed by the Centre’s recommendation.
Didi’s ‘ekla cholo’ fails
Centre stops releasing funds under MGNREGA since December, 2021, citing irregularities
Total job card holders: 1.5 crore
WB govt claimed Rs 1.3 lakh crore due from Centre till date
State government directs MLAs and MPs to use their fund for constructing houses for poors and roads
Bengal govt passes a bill to amend the West Bengal Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2010,to enhance its borrowing capacity to meet the crisis triggered by Centre’s pause on fund release
For the first time, government decides to include issue of malpractice and its consequences in the training syllabus for candidates who will be elected in next year’s rural polls
CM Mamata Banerjee directs gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads to initiate works for creating job opportunities using own funds
Bengal govt decides to close incomplete projects failed to meet deadline
For the first time since the launch of the drive titled duare Sarkar (government on doorstep), the fifth edition of the initiative doesn’t have any window for job scheme
