Thaindian News

Agartala, July 25 (IANS) The Left Front government in Tripura has launched a special employment guarantee scheme for the urban poor, modelled on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
The Tripura Urban Employment Programme (TUEP) — said to be the first of its kind in India — was launched by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar here late Friday.

“The TUEP would provide 50 days’ guaranteed employment in a year to about 52,000 poor families living in 16 urban civic agency areas, including the Agartala Municipal Council,” state Urban Development Minister Manik Dey told IANS.

He said it would cost Rs.300 million to implement the new scheme and each worker would be paid a wage of Rs.100 per day.

TUEP workers would be engaged in eight sectors — collection and disposal of garbage and cleaning of roads; plantation; flood protection measures; maintenance and beautification of parks, playgrounds, water areas; community services; water body creation and maintenance; construction of small roads and cleaning of market places.

Launching the TUEP, Sarkar had urged the central government to introduce such scheme for the urban poor in the entire country.

“The Left Front government in Tripura has already introduced nine separate allowance (grant) schemes for various deprived classes of the society besides increase the allowance for the aged people from Rs.200 to Rs.400,” Sarkar added.

Sarkar also announced an increase in the monthly allowance for aged rickshaw pullers, tannery and bidi workers, widows, women deserted by their husbands and the disabled.