Port Blair, Feb 2: As per the instructions of the All India Congress Committee, the Territorial Congress Committee (TCC) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands organized a State Convention at Collinpur Gram Panchayat, South Andaman on Tuesday to celebrate and commemorate the completion of one decade of the mega flagship program of the UPA Government ‘MGNREGA’. The convention was attended by large number of congressmen from the three districts of A & N Islands and rural folk primarily the beneficiaries of the scheme from all over the Islands.
In his address, the President, Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Kuldeep Rai Sharma spoke on the aim and objective of the MGNREGA scheme as a powerful Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee at least 100 days of wage employment in the rural area in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. He appreciated that the vision and will of Smt. Sonia Gandhi , the Congress President , the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of UPA Government and the everlasting concern of congress party towards the poor masses of India has given birth to this largest most ambitious social security and public works programme in the world.
On the implementation of the scheme in these islands, Mr Sharma said that the scheme was launched on 1st April 2008 and since inception of the scheme the job card for the wage seekers were issued with Bank Account opened ,so that the beneficiaries receives correct wage and transparency in payment is maintained at all times. He added that during the UPA regime, the MGNREGA in these Islands has done commendable job by provided economic security to the rural masses particularly the agriculture labours , helped creation rural assets, empowered rural women, tribal of Nicobar district , limited rural-urban migration and fostered social equity. However, with the advent of the NDA Government at the Center and because of its anti poor and anti farmer approach, the implementation of MGNREGA in these Islands too along with the rest of India has been adversely effected as it can easily be visualized from the receding fund availability under the scheme resulting in drastic decrease in employment generation both in terms of numbers of households jobs as also person-days jobs during the financial year 2014-15 & 2015-16. He added that the poor implementation of the ACT at the hand of Central Government is rendering it ineffective which defeats the very purpose envisaged under the ACT. He called upon the masses to join hand with congress to fight for their legitimate right to earn guaranteed wages under MGNREGA.
The Congress leaders, PRI members and MGNREGA beneficiaries attending the convention sought intervention of the Congress Party at Centre and UT level for proper implementation of MGNREGA in terms of timely payment of wages, compensation and unemployment allowance as provided under the ACT. Mr Sanjib Mondal, Mr Mahadeb Maji, Mohd. Safique, Mr Arvind, Mr Amla Prasad Singh, Mr Anulika Biswas, Ms Mariyam Bibi, Mr John Robert, Mr Shanna Rao, Mr Vasudevan Nair, Smt Abla Samaddar, Mr Balakrishnan Nair, Mr Alagar Swamy and Smt Shanta Laxman Singh also addressed the gathering. Mr Sudir Chander proposed the vote of thanks.
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