Showing posts with label nrega. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nrega. Show all posts

A CLARION CALL TO UNITE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND.....

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A CLARION CALL TO THE PEOPLE TO UNITE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND NEO-LIBERAL POLICY FROM A THOUSANDS STRONG MASS MEETING AND PROCESSION OF ASSAM MOJURI SRAMEEK UNION


The News Published in Dainik Samayik Prasanga, 15th Nov. 2011 issue 
            This prgramme organised by Assam Mojuri Srameek Union has also been addressed by the office bearers of Barak Human Rights Protection Committe, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Citizens' Rights Protection Committee, Manipur Peoples' Struggle Committee along with Union's speakers and Mr Gautam Modi, Secretary, New Trade Union Initiative, New Delhi as guest speaker.
Press Releaese

A strong procession of thousands of union  
members entering the meeting venue
The neo-liberal policy and the policy of appeasement serving the corporate interest of the Indian big business houses and the global oligopolists, pursued by the Indian Govt. is increasing the inequality, poverty, unemployment and the prices of the essential commodities in leaps and bounds. In the list prepared on the basis of human development index, India’s place is 119 out of 129 countries. As per the Govt record of 2010, the rate of life expectancy of birth (years) is 64.4%, the rate of malnutrition in the age group of 6-59 months is 79%, below 3 years is 46% and that of below 6 years is 49%. As per Arjun Sengupta report, 77% of people has the average daily expenditure of Rs.20 or less. During the period of 1994-2008, the rate of employment per annum in the Govt organized sector is (-)0.65%  and that of private sector is 1.75%. The workers in the private IT-BPO and other private sectors, and the working class in the unorganized sector who constitute the absolute majority of the India workforce are being compelled to work with measly sum of wage. Almost 2.5 lakhs of farmers committed suicide till date due to agricultural crisis.
      The budgetary allocation of fund for social sector development is very meager. As per Reserve Bank report 2010, the expenditure in education is 2.98% of GDP, that of health is 1.27% and in other social investment is only 2.38% of GDP. With an intention to reduce the social sector investment still further, the Government is conspiring to show less BPL percentage, and pursuing the policy to allow the private capitalists to enter these social sector for making profit through commercialization.
A Sectional view of the mass-meeting
A Sectional view of the mass-meeting
   This policy of the Govt. has shattered the lives of the working class in general and especially the most backward communities and the regions like Barak Valley. All the beneficiary schemes and the scheme under the right to work act like NREGA are not being properly implemented due to the carelessness and insensitivity of the people in the Govt. implementing machineries. The jobcard holders are not getting 100 days work per year, and the state Govt is dillydallying in giving the unemployment allowance against their failure in providing jobs to the job-seekers, though the honourable high court has also passed an order to pay the unemployment allowance against a writ-petition filed by the Union. The tea-workers are not getting the minimum wage and the facilities they are entitled to get as per plantation labour act, even the tea-workers in Barak are getting less than their counterpart in Brahmaputra valley of the state of Assam.     
     In vehement opposition to the neo-liberal policy and on the basis of the demands mentioned below, and by being the part of the all India working class movement initiated by New Trade Union Initiative, the Union is determined to strengthen this movement further.
        Demands are – (1) All the arrear unemployment allowance under NREGA must be paid immediately. (2) 200 days of work per year should be provided to the jobcard-holders.   (3) On the basis of the guideline of Indian Labour Conference, 1957 and the directives of Supreme Court, the minimum wage of the tea-workers and the workers of all unorganized sectors must be fixed. (4) The wages of the tea-workers of Barak Valley should be at per with that of Brahmaputra Valley. (5) The universal PDS should be brought back in force. (6) The PRI and the Gramsabha should be strengthened for empowerment of the people. (7) The power should be decentralized through multi-layered autonomy to ensure equal rights of all communities. (8) The rampant corruption at all levels and the skyrocketing price hike of essential commodities must be arrested, and the Lokpal act must brought into force.

ASOM MOJURI SRAMEEK UNION
CACHAR DISTRICT COMMITTEE
H/O KHUDIRAM SARANI, SIBBARI ROAD, TARAPUR, SILCHAR-8, Regd. No 2287
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
    Ref:  Nil                                                                                  Date : 14.11.2011

      সরকার অনুসৃত নয়া আর্থিক নীতি ও দেশি-বিদেশি ব্যক্তিপুঁজি মালিকদের স্বার্থ রক্ষাকারী পদক্ষেপের ফলে সামাজিক অসাম্য, দরিদ্রতা, বেকারত্ব, নিত্য প্রয়োজনীয় সামগ্রীর মূল্যের বৃদ্ধি ঘটে চলেছে। মানবোন্নয়নের সূচক অনুযায়ী ১২৯টি দেশের মধ্যে ভারতের স্থান ১১৯ নং। ২০১০-এর সরকারি হিসেব অনুযায়ী, জন্মবছরে বেঁচে থাকার হার ৬৪.৪%,     ৬ মাস থেকে ৫৯ মাস বয়সের শিশুর অপুষ্টির হার ৭৯%, ৩ বছরের নিচে শিশুর ৪৬% ও ৬ বছরের নিচে ৪৯% অপুষ্টিতে ভুগছে। অর্জুন সেনগুপ্ত কমিশনের রিপোর্ট অনুযায়ী ৭৭% লোকের দৈনিক গড় ব্যয় ২০ টাকা বা তার কম। ১৯৯৪-২০০৮-এই পিরিয়ডে সরকারি সংগঠিতখণ্ডে গড় বছরে নিয়োগের হার (-)০.৬৫% ও বেসরকারি ক্ষেত্রে ১.৭৫%। আইটি-বিপিও ও অন্যান্য বেসরকারি ক্ষেত্রগুলোতে এবং গরিষ্ঠাংশ শ্রমজীবী মানুষ অসংগঠিত ক্ষেত্রে অত্যন্ত নগণ্য মজুরিতে কাজ করতে বাধ্য হচ্ছে। কৃষিক্ষেত্রে বিপর্যয়ের জন্য ইতিমধ্যে মোট প্রায় ২.৫ লাখ কৃষকের আত্মহত্যার ঘটনা ঘটেছে। 
Union's flag-hoisting (above)
 and procession (below)

সরকারী বাজেটে সামাজিক খাতে ব্যয় বরাদ্দ নিতান্তই অপ্রতুল। রিজার্ভ ব্যঙ্কের ২০১০-এর হিসেব অনুযায়ী শিক্ষখাতে জিডিপির ২.৯৮%, স্বাস্থ্যখাতে ১.২৭% ও অন্যান্য খাতে জিডিপির মাত্র ২.৩৮% ব্যয় করা হয়। সামাজিক খাতে ব্যয় আরও কমিয়ে দেওয়ার উদ্দেশ্যে বিপিএলের সংখ্যা কমিয়ে দেখানোর চক্রান্ত করছে সরকার এবং সামাজিক ক্ষেত্রগুলিতে মুনাফালোভি ব্যক্তিমালিকদের অনুপ্রবেশের পথ সুগম করার নীতি অনুসরণ করছে সরকার।

     সরকারের এই নীতিতে সাধারণভাবে শ্রমজীবী মানুষ এবং বিশেষ করে বরাক উপত্যকার মত পিছিয়ে পড়া অঞ্চলের ও পিছিয়ে পড়া জনগোষ্ঠীদের জীবনে বিপর্যয় দেখা দিয়েছে। গণ-আন্দোলনের চাপে কাজের অধিকার সাব্যস্ত করতে এনরেগা সহ অন্যান্য যেসব জনহিতকর প্রকল্প সরকার নিয়েছে তাও দুর্নীতি ও প্রশাসনযন্ত্রের অসংবেদনশীলতা ও গাফিলতিতে সুস্টুভাবে কার্যকরী হচ্ছে না। এনরেগার বছরে ১০০ দিনের কাজ দেওয়া হচ্ছে না এবং কাজ দিতে না পারলে যে বেকার ভাতা দেওয়ার কথা, তা দিতেও রাজ্য সরকার টালবাহানা করছে। এব্যাপারে ইউনিয়নের এক রিট পিটিশনের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে হাইকোর্ট অতিসত্বর বেকার ভাতা প্রদান করার আদেশও জারি করেছে। চা-শ্রমিকদের ন্যূনতম মজুরি সহ প্ল্যাল্টেশন লেবার আইন অনুযায়ী সুযোগ-সুবিধাগুলি দেওয়া হয় না, এমনকি বরাক উপত্যকার চা-শ্রমিকদের ব্রহ্মপুত্র উপত্যকার শ্রমিকদের চেয়েও নেক কম হাজিরা দেওয়া হয়।

            ইউনিয়ন সরকারের ব্যক্তিগতকরণের নীতির বিরুদ্ধে এবং নিম্নলিখিত দাবিগুলির ভিত্তিতে আন্দোলন গড়ে তুলতে এবং নিউ ট্রেড ইউনিয়ন ইনিসিয়েটিভের উদ্যোগে সর্বভারতীয় আন্দোলনের সাথে যুক্ত হয়ে এই আন্দোলনকে আরও শক্তিশালী করতে বদ্ধপরিকর।
          (১)এনরেগার বকেয়া বেকার ভাতা প্রদান করতে হবে। (২) এনরেগার অধীনে বছরে ২০০দিনের কাজ দিতে হবে। (৩) ইণ্ডিয়ান লেবার কনফারেন্স ১৯৫৭ ও সুপ্রিম কোর্টের আদেশের গাইডলাইন মেনে চা-শ্রনিক ও অসংগঠিত শ্রমিকদের ন্যূনতম মজুরি ধার্য করতে হবে। (৪) বরাক ও ব্রহ্মপুত্র ভ্যালির চা-শ্রমিকদের সমহারে মজুরি প্রদান করতে হবে। (৫) সর্বজনীন রেশনিং ব্যবস্থা চালু করতে হবে। (৬) পঞ্চায়েত ও গ্রামসভাকে শক্তিশালী করতে হবে। (৭) বহুস্তরীয় স্বশাসনের ভিত্তিতে ক্ষমতার বিকেন্দ্রীকরণের মাধ্যমে সব জনগোষ্ঠীর অধিকার প্রতিষ্ঠা করতে হবে। (৮) সর্বস্তবরে দুর্নীতি ও নিত্যপ্রয়োজনীয় সামগ্রীর মূল্যবৃদ্ধি রোধ এবং লোকপাল আইন চালু করতে হবে।              




DRAFT MEMORANDUM ON PEOPLE'S ISSUES OF ASSAM

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The mass signature campaign launched by Assam Mojuri Srameek Union is going on at various districts of Assam  on the basis of this draft memorandum translated to the respective mother-tongue of the people. The final memorandum containing the various demands of the people of Assam will be submitted to the Honourable Governor of assam in due course of time.

ASOM MOJURI SRAMEEK UNION
H.O. C/o N. k. Das, Khudiram Sarani, Sibbari Road, Tarapur, Silchar - 788008
Regd No. 2287
__________________________________________________________________________
Ref :                                                                                                                             Date :


To,
The Honourable Governor
Government Of Assam
Dispur, Guwahati.


Sub – Memorandum.


Sir,
Most humbly and respectfully, we, the leadership of Assam Mojuri Srameek Union, on behalf of the mass of people who have signed the copy of memorandum translated in mother-tongue and containing charter of demands, would like to draw your kind attention to the following facts.

Sir, When CAG audit report on the implementation of MGNREGA has come to the public domain, it has generated lot of uproar and debate. CAG audit coverage was from February 2006 to March 2007 and field audit was done on the basis of relevant records that was not cross-checked through the interaction with the actual beneficiaries. Moreover, the random samples were selected from 25% of NREG-districts subject to minimum two, two blocks from each district, four Gram Panchayats (GPs) from each Block and four works from each GP and thus records relating to 68 districts, 128 blocks within the selected districts, and 513 GPs in the selected blocks were selected for detailed examination. On that basis, audit was performed and enumerated in the CAG report, according to which each registered household received 18 days of employment on average, and only 3.2 per cent of registered households worked for the full 100 days. In response to this, the MRD came out with an alternative calculation, suggesting an average of 44 days of employment per household, with 10 per cent of households getting 100 days of employment. But assumption drawn from the experience of our grassroots activity compel us to believe that in Assam the figures in this respect will be more close to the figures assessed by the CAG. But there may be an addendum that the performance in some GPs where the people are much aware & active, is far better than that of the others within the same Block/District. The GP-wise or Block-wise variation of actual implementation in terms of employment generation as well as asset creation is very high. It is observed that the people’s awareness and popular pressure can alleviate the performance level by reducing the corrupt practice of maintaining fake jobcards or of manipulated entries. Though the fund is earmarked for awareness campaign, lackadaisical approach of the administration to make the campaign ineffective & superficial, and the procrastination & manipulation in holding the gramsabha that empowers the villagers to ensure proper implementation baffles us all. Till date the first Gramsabha of the current financial year has not yet been held. CAG audit report also mentioned that in Assam, attendance of workers was not verified by any authorized official, Certificate of inspecting official was not recorded, there were cases of duplication of workers resulting in overpayment.

It is observed that the grievance redressal mechanism is not functioning properly and so despite repeated complain from the Jobcard-holders vis-à-vis the Union, the concerned authority hesitates to activise the mechanism of transparency and accountability and wraps the process in many layers of beguilement with a view to siphon off the large chunk of money from the fund earmarked for the scheme. When the stipulated days of work and the wage thereof is far less than the actual requirement to cater the need of the villagers and asset generation, the prevarication in accepting and rectifying the administrative inefficacy and murky modus operandi is worrisome and trend-setter to dismantle the very premise of workers rights ingrained in the act.

In the period of 2006-07, the CAG observed that the Gram Sabha meetings were not widely publicized before hand, works were not identified by the Gram Sabhas, copies of MRs were not available for public scrutiny in the GPs. According to the OG, district-wise Schedules of Rates (SOR) must be prepared after undertaking careful “time and motion studies” for the NREGA workforce. The CAG also makes a pointed observation to the effect that the state governments should ensure payment of minimum wages.

Regarding the payment of wages in Assam, the official record in the Govt. website reveals that the number of MRs & the accrued amount thereof against the delayed payment in the financial year 2009-10 & 2010-11 are 95032 & Rs.739283681 and 41643 & Rs.340643000 respectively. But surprisingly enough no compensation has been paid to the Jobcard-holders against the long period of delay in payment.

Regarding the unemployment allowance in Assam, the official record shows that in the period of 2009-10, there are 7328 cases of unemployment allowance due and in the period 2010-11, there are 43675 cases of unemployment allowance due. In 2010-11, the total 2331 cases in Hailakandi district and 347 cases in Karimganj demand a special mention to understand the administrative reluctance and chicanery to avoid recording the genuine claim of unemployment allowance of the Jobcard-holders. In these two districts itself, the Union has to go through a long-drawn-out legal battle to justify the genuine claim of the Unemployment allowance. The honourable High Court heard a PIL-petition of the Union and directed the Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, the appellant authority, to pass appropriate order on the appeal filed by the Jobcard Holders for Unemployment Allowance. The Lok Adalat of Karimganj district also passed an order on the case filed by the the Jobcard-holders directing the concerned GP secretary & Patherkandi BDO to immediately seek required budget from concerned Government for payment of the Unemployment allowances entitled by the applicants for the year 2008-09 and on submission of the compliance report by the said officials in persuasion of this order, the court in a subsequent order directed to clear up the dues within two months w.e.f. 25-9-2010. But the Jobcard-holders had to file another petition for non-compliance of the last order. We are sure that the administration is now gearing up to procrastinate and not to budge on the legal obligation so easily and speedily. It is worth-mentioning here that CAG report of Assam states that though no unemployment allowance was paid during the period of 2006-07, the chances that work was not provided within the stipulated period cannot be ruled out as undated applications were being received.

Under the circumstances stated above, we put forward the following demands for your kind perusal and urge upon your good office to prevail upon the concerned ministry vis-à-vis the state Government and also to recommend the same to the Central Government for the fulfillment of these demands --

(1) It must be ensured that the Gramsabhas are held regularly and effectively. The Government grievance redressal mechanism should be put in place as per guideline of MGNREGA and be geared up to address the complain within a stipulated period of time to mitigate the grievances. All the allegations of corruption must be investigated with a high power committee constituted with the members from workers Union & mass organization, people’s representative elected by Gransabhas and experts in different field and headed by a sitting Judge.
(2) The due unemployment allowance must be paid immediately and the state Government should be obliged to initiate due process to ensure payment of unemployment allowance, in case the implementing authority fails to provide jobs to jobcard-holders within the stipulated period of time.
(3) It must be ensured that the compensation is paid to the Jobcard-holders in case of delay in payment of wages.
(4) The minimum wage for the agricultural labourer in assam must be ascertained on the basis of current CPI and must be notified immediately to bring it into effect. The number of days of work and the wage of the MGNREGA workers should be increased to 200 days and Rs 200 respectively.

Moreover,

(5) It is to be noted with utter dismay of all concern that though there was an all India BPL-survey in the year 2007, no field-level BPL-survey has been held after 2002 in Assam. Even BPL-card has not been issued to all those families who are enlisted in 2002 survey. It is quite intriguing to note that the state Government remained in deep slumber and complacent when NSSO BPL-assessment showed a drastic fall of BPL population in Assam in the year 2004-05 in sharp contrast to the all India trend. There were lot of hue and cry from the other state Government for slightest reduction of percentage of BPL families shown in the furnished figures that are at variance with state assessment and thereby effecting the central allocation of food grain for the state, the Assam Government remained unperturbed and unconcerned despite the fact that the record decrease of population shown in the furnished figure is fallacious and unscrupulous compared to all India trend. However, the persistence of considerable differences in the estimation of BPL led the supreme Court to question the norms and method applied for BPL estimation and that is why the planning commission is presently doing sample survey in 12 villages in Assam. The 2011 BPL survey to prepar the list of BPL families is going to be kick-started soon and in that event, we demand that the survey report must be finalized through genuine and effective on-going process of Gramsabhas. Moreover, lot of drama have been orchestrated, lot of APL-BPL manipulation has been designed to hush up easy money, lot of food grains dumped to the houses of well-off having BPL-card when the destitute failed to have one square meal a day for not having BPL card, and all these amply made it clear that the APL-BPL categorization for PDS system is highly ineffectual and unreliable and as such we demand that universal PDS system should be put in place again to eradicate corruption and to ensure the BPL to avail subsidized food grain.
(6) Wages of the tea-workers must be revised and the total equivalent amount of money of the daily wage both in cash & kind for individual worker should not be less than the industrial minimum wage of the state in any case. At present the tea-worker daily wage is less than half of the minimum wage of industrial worker and much less than that of even NREGA-worker. That pathetic sate of affairs and the slave-like treatment meted out to tea-workers should not be continued further.
(7) The land-ownership right should be bestowed on all the tea-worker families, Muslim in CHOR areas, the tribal of forest reserve and the inhabitants who have been residing since last 75 years in the forest reserve areas and the Pacca Patta should be issued to all those people immediately.
(8) The displaced people residing in the refugee camp of Lower Assam in utter destitution and inhuman condition, should be immediately suitably rehabilitated.
(9) Though the handing over of 29 departments has already been notified in the Gazette, but in actual practice the Panchayats are not in a position to act in this direction and so we demand to immediately initiate actual hand over of the charges of all these departments to the Panchayats to ensure grass root democracy and devolution of power.
(10) The beneficiaries of Minority Development Fund should be selected through Gramsabhas.
(11) Considering the earthquake prone zone, the big dam project in NE should be discarded and small scale multi purpose project by constructing small barrages in the main rivers and their tributaries should be initiated.
(12) The long marked D-voter should be omitted from the voter list and the genuine citizens should be provided with voting rights as well as other citizen’s rights.
(13) Last but not the least demand of the Union is that Assam should be restructured in federal basis through multi-layered autonomy with decentralized power and reservation according to population to ensure equal rights and status for all communities and to resolve the deep-rooted identity crisis.

We hope that you will urgently intervene in this matter and do the needful to mitigate the people’s grievances and despair.

Thanking You
Yours faithfully

A vibrant movement of NREG-workers

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The recent high court judgment on a PIL-petition filed by Assam Mojuri Sramik Union regarding the formation of state council of NREGA in Assam and payment of unemployment allowance to the NREG-workers who have not been provided with hundred days of work in a year, is an yardstick to assess the quotidian and arduous struggle of the NREGA workers of Assam. The state council has subsequently been formed and the appellant authority (the program coordinator/Deputy Commissioner) has been asked to pass order on the appeal petition filed for unemployment allowance.

The three years long struggle began with a series of workshops in different rural hinterlands and JANAPADAS under the auspices of Swabhiman NGO especially in this Barak Valley (comprising of three district viz. Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi) region of Assam, following the demand for inclusion of these three districts under NREGA-net from a mass-gathering held at Borkhola,Cahar and organized by Day Labourer’s Union. The movement really began to spread when these districts were brought under the purview of the act.

স্বাভিমান:SWABHIMAN Headline Animator

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