No COVID-19 impact on rural economy, Rs 877 cr spent on MGNREGA, says Tripura govt

Agartala: The outbreak of coronavirus has put a huge strain on the economy in Tripura. However, COVID-19 did not hamper the rural economy as we have been able to provide them with more MGNREGA work and financial support then the previous government could have, said Tripura Law minister Ratan Lal Nath.

Speaking in a press conference at the civil secretariat, Nath said that the amount allocated for central shares during the previous government has now doubled. Similarly, the Tripura government has so far allocated more money to MGNREGA than the previous government.

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Presenting the information Nath said that during the Left-Front government, during the financial year 2016-17 an amount of Rs 404.40 crore was allocated for the central share. In comparison to that, the Centre allocated Rs 435.40 crore in 2018-19, Rs 31.18 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 877 crore in the 2020-2 till November.

He also claimed that the present government has been able to create much more man-days than the previous government.

“During the financial year 2017-18, a total of 1,78,42,000 man-days was created. In the financial year 2018-19 we have created 2,53,9000 man-days, in the financial year 2019-20 a total of 3,44,2,000 man-days and in the financial year 2020-21 a total of 2,71,13,000 man-days have been created till date and the wages for the MGNREGA workers have also increased”, Nath said.

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The wages of the MGNREGA workers which was Rs 177 during the financial year 2017-18, increased to Rs 192 in the financial year 2018-19 and Rs 205 in the financial year 2020-21.

Speaking further Nath said that the current BJP-IPFT coalition government has delivered more money to the villagers than the previous government could during their tenure.

“In the financial year 2017-18, the rural people through MGNREGA received Rs 311.59 crore, whereas, in the financial year 2018-19 it increased to Rs 448.96 crore, in the financial year 2019-20 the amount further increase to Rs 660.51 crore and in the financial year 2020-21 so far Rs 555.91 crore has reached the rural people through MGNREGA work”, Nath added.

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Meanwhile, the minister also informed that the MGNREGA work in all 12 aspirational blocks in Tripura would increase from 100 days to 112 days as more than 70 per cent work in all blocks have been completed with four more months left in the financial year.

Earlier in September 2019 chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb announced 12 backward blocks as aspirational taking note from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 117 aspirational districts across India.

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Among the blocks, 78.61 per cent MGNREGA work in Raishabari block has been completed, 75.80 per cent in Dumburnagar block, 74.71 per cent in Chawmanu block, 69.35 per cent in Mungiakami block, 65.08 per cent in Karbook block, 64.47 per cent in Ganganagar block, 64.18 per cent in Ampinagar block, 55.14 per cent in Shilachhari block, 50.41 per cent in Tulshikhar block, 55.01 per cent in Dasda block, 49.52 per cent in Damchara block and 48.73 per cent in Rupaichhari block with four months left in the financial year.

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