: The number of person days of work per family under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal has decreased by nearly 25 per cent in a year.
While the number of person days of work generated per family in 2013-14 was 37, it decreased to 28 in 2014-15.
Expressing serious concerns over the issue, agricultural workers across the State have decided to protest in various parts in the State by observing Lazza Dibas. MGNREGS day is observed every year on February 2 and thus the workers have decided to protest in February before various offices involved in the implementation of the Central scheme.
On Wednesday, activists under the banner of Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS) went to the office of the MGNREGS Commissioner after distributing black batches to his staff.
“When we asked Dibyendu Sarkar, the MGNREGS Commissioner, whether he would also pay the workers compensation for late payment of wages, he claimed it was not his responsibility because the Centre was causing the delay,” said Anuradha Talwar, a social activist associated with the workers forum.
Uttam Gayen, the general secretary of PBKMS, said that a good programme of the MGNREGS would have helped agricultural workers of Bengal to stay in the villages and stopped distress migration to other States for work.
Last year, West Bengal Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution expressing apprehension on the curtailment of MGNREGS by the Centre.