Take measures and involve more people in 100 days work: CM
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the ministers to take measures for involving more 100 days workers in different types of work, including various construction works, to address the issues of non-payment of wages for MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). The instructions by Banerjee came during the Cabinet meeting at Nabanna.
Different departments of the state government have already employed 100 days workers in various non-technical works but Banerjee instructed the ministers to take measures so that more 100 days workers can be involved in such works so that they can make both ends meet in the backdrop of Centre's deprivation.
About seven months have elapsed in the current fiscal, but the Centre has not disbursed a single penny in connection with MGNREGS. Among the 34 states and Union territories, Bengal is the solitary state and Lakshadweep (UT), that has not received any funds for 100 days work.
Interestingly, the derivation comes even after Bengal ranked first in employing unskilled labourers and second in the creation of man-days among all states in the country under the 100 days job scheme in the 2021-22 financial year. In the last fiscal, the state Panchayats and Rural Development department offered employment to about 1,11,19765 people while 36,41,17876 man-days were created under MGNREGS. Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi will chair a meeting with department secretaries and DMs on Thursday to take stock about the status of employing 100 days workers in various government jobs.