Jaipur: At Hirapur in Kishanganj tehsil of Baran District, many Villagers are being forced to migrate in search of work. In previous years, much relief was provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which provides 100 days of work to a rural household. Under the Act, work ought to be provided within 15 days of an application being received. If work is not provided, workers denied the opportunity to earn are entitled to compensation. In Baran district, however, work on MGNREGA has ground to a standstill and villagers say they have received no wages under it for over a year.
Many of those rendered unable to earn are women. Gulab Bai, Motia Bai and Sugana Bai of Hirapur said that they had received no work – or compensation for not being given work – despite have submitted several applications. Ramlal and Anandilal of Pippalghatta village in Bilasgarh panchayat also said that no work had been undertaken under MGNREGA for almost a year in their area.
Social activist Firoz Khan told TOI that at Pippalghatta village, authorities were also unable to launch work under NREGA because they were unable to find anyone with the necessary qualification to lead the workers and maintain muster rolls. Villagers, however, have indicated that there is a candidate who could fill the slot from within the community, with the required learning.
Many villagers complained that the need to migrate in search of work was also impacting the studies of children, whose lives too are disrupted as families scatter. Block development officer Divakar Meena was appraised of the matter by local activists and has assured people that he would look to getting work started under MGNREGA soon. Source : timesofindia