Agartala, February 17:
The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Tuesday organized a Rajbhavan Abhiyan rally in Agartala against the BJP-led Central Government, alleging dilution and effective withdrawal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Hundreds of Congress supporters carrying party flags and banners joined the procession, which began from Swami Vivekananda Maidan.
A heavy deployment of police personnel stopped the rally from proceeding further, halting it in the Buddhamanir area.
Senior Congress leaders including state president Asish Kumar Saha, former Minister and MLA Sudip Roy Barman, and MLA Birajit Sinha addressed the gathering and sharply criticized the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
Later speaking to reporters Sudip Roy Barman described MGNREGA as a “historic scheme” introduced by the Congress and accused the Centre of weakening its foundational provisions.
“This was a historic scheme of ours, MGNREGA. They have not only changed its name, but they have also removed the provision that allowed people to demand work under it. Now it will be very difficult to get work under this scheme,” he said.
The Congress senior leader further alleged that financial powers earlier vested in Panchayats alongwith planning have been curtailed and moreover, states are now required to bear up to 40 percent of the financial burden.
“If a state is unable to do so, ultimately the common people suffer. Those who depend on MGNREGA for their livelihood will lose their employment opportunities. This clearly proves that Narendra Modi is an enemy of the poor. He is a friend of Adani, Ambani, and the one percent who control 58 percent of the GDP, but he is against the poor. Therefore, today we submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding that the MGNREGA Act be properly reimplemented,” Roy Barman stated.
Taking a dig at the ongoing war of words between ruling NDA allies Bharatiya Janata Party and TIPRA Motha Party ahead of the crucial TTAADC elections, Roy Barman alleged that the public spat is nothing but a “got-up drama.”
Referring to the recent exchange of rhetoric between Chief Minister Manik Saha and TIPRA Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarma over the Roman script issue for Kokborok, Roy Barman said, “This is full of drama. In a few days, you will see that it is a got-up game.”
Meantime, he asserted that the Congress party’s stand is clear in support of the Roman script, calling it scientific and in line with recommendations of language bodies.
“The indigenous people have the right to choose their own script, and the majority have chosen Roman script. Calling it foreign is a lame excuse. BJP and Motha are trying to do politics over this sensitive issue and create an escape path instead of dealing with real problems,” he alleged.
The Congress leaders maintained that while BJP and Motha are engaged in what they termed political theatrics ahead of the TTAADC polls, pressing concerns such as rural employment and livelihood security are being sidelined.
