Thaindian News

Kolkata, March 1 (IANS) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) monitoring the union government’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme feel that the budgetary proposal linking wages to the consumer price index (CPI) could lead to exploitation of the beneficiaries by politicians.

As many of the rural bodies lack internet connectivity, implementing the proposal could pose problems due to delays in sensitising the grassroots in time about changes in the wages rates, they say.

Nilanjana Mazumder, head of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) cell of Elmhirst Institute for Community Studies in Santiniketan, Tuesday expressed apprehension that the beneficiaries could be duped due to frequent changes in the wage rates.

According to Swapan Mandol of Loko Kalyan Parishad in North Dinajpur, “the new proposal will lead to confusion and ultimately the beneficiaries will be duped by the opportunist political leaders controlling the rural bodies”.

Bratin Biswas, secretary of Surul Centre for Services in Rural Area (CSRA), shared similar views.

“The panchayats (rural bodies) are the main implementing agency of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). But many of the rural bodies across the country, including a large number in West Bengal, do not have internet connectivity. So if the wage rates have to be altered corresponding to a change in the consumer price index, there will be a major problem in informing the rural bodies in time,” he said.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in his budget proposals Monday, announced that the government has decided to index the wage rates notified under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National rural Employment Gaurantee Act) to the consumer price index for agricultural labour. The existing wage rate of Rs.100 has been notified by the ministry of rural development Jan 14.

According to his proposal, there will be variation over the existing wage rate based on the increase or decrease of the CPI. If the CPI increases there will be a rise in the wage rate from the existing Rs.100 per day. Likewise, decrease in the CPI will lower the wage rate, but it will never be less than Rs.100.

Biswas said: “The central government has to inform each state government officially about variations in the CPI as the wage rates in MGNREGA vary from state to state.

“Likewise, the state government should inform all the district administrations so that the information percolates down to all rural bodies. It will be a time consuming process.”

The CSRA works as a consultant agency extending overall support to MGNREGA cells in Burdwan and Birbhum districts in implementing the projects.

According to Biswas, all the rural bodies need to be connected with internet facilities if the new variations in the wage rates have to be uploaded for immediate information at the rural body level.

The new wage rates for MGNREGA in West Bengal are Rs.130 for unskilled, Rs.195 for semi-skilled and Rs.260 for skilled labourers.

Tajmool Haque, secretary of Ganga Bhangon Pratirodh Nagarik Action Committee in Malda, said that any government notification reaches the lower administrative level in more than one week’s time.

“Before the implementation of new wage rates at the rural body level, it may undergo a further revision according to weekly variation in CPI,” Haque said.