The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India Marxist has strongly condemned the central government for starving the state of Himachal Pradesh for want of MNREGA funds. The people working under this scheme have not been paid wages since last 6 months as the BJP government in the centre has slashed the grant by over 50% . The labour component amounting to more than Rs 70 crores is outstanding to the workmen who have not been paid . The state was supposed to get an anuual support of Rs 670 crores but the party that sang the rhetoric of ‘ache din’ i.e. good days has reduced it to Rs 355 crores. This has severely affected the functioning of this scheme especially in the areas that were galloping fast under it. The districts of Mandi, Sirmour, Una and Shimla have been the severest hit. The party has asked the chief minister who is in Delhi for the NIti Ayog meeting to seriously take up this matter and pursue the case of the state vigorously. the party has also asked the state leadership of the BJP to openly condemn this reduction and prevail on their central leadership to increase the grant under MNREGA.
The CPI(M) has stated, over the years MNREGA has been helpful in creating a demand in the countryside and that too in a demand constrained economy. Not just that large assets for the people have been created in the past that were unheard of in the history of independent India. It was not just an inclusive scheme but also where the working people felt quite organically to the job as it was their own asset which was being created. The reduction in the grant will not just cripple the entire scheme but will desist the people from it and will turn the act redundant finally falling once again a victim to the private style of functioning in the countryside.
The party fully supports the convention being held by the workers and the farmers of the state on 13th in Mandi against this onslaught on MNREGA. The party will mobilise its activists for this convention and also appeals to the common people in the rural areas to join this convention and register their protest. The party demands immediate release of the balance amount to the state and also giving the grant to the state government not with reduced amount but full.