MPP demands resignation of Minister on NREGS issue

IMPHAL, Feb 6:Asserting that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has failed in Manipur due to laxity on the part of Deputy Commissioners who are district programme coordinators of the scheme, MPP has demanded resignation of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister on moral ground.A press release issued by MPP General Secretary (Political Affairs and Local Bodies) H Manisana said not up to 30 percent of the annual labour budget sanctioned for 2008-09 fiscal could not be utilised although the financial year is closing. Notwithstanding the fact that the NREGS is a time bound scheme, district programme coordinators have been giving priority to those Panchayats who lobby with them while totally neglecting those who stayed away from such practices resulting in failure of the scheme.Even as the scheme guarantees 100 days of job in a year, hardly 10 days of job have been provided in Manipur, the MPP alleged.Further accusing the Rural Development and Pan- chayati Raj Minister of excluding Panchayats in sele- cting beneficiaries of old age pension and PDS agents and in appointing Anganwadi workers and helpers, MPP asserted that for all these failures and discrepancies, the Rural Deve- lopment and Panchayati Raj Minister ought to resign on moral ground.