Agartala, May 18 (IANS) Following an indefinite strike by the employees associated with the Mahatma gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Tripura government Friday increased their salaries.
Briefing mediapersons about the cabinet decision, Tripura Rural Development Minister Jitendra Chaudhury said: "Around 3,000 staff of MGNREGS from now onwards would get a minimum of Rs.6,933 and the maximum of Rs.13,218 per month, considering their status and official position."
Earlier, the minimum and maximum salaries were between Rs.5,600 and Rs.10,000.
The minister said that to implement the higher rate of salaries for the MGNREGS staffs, the state government has to annually spend Rs.26.33 crore from the government exchequer.
Chaudhury also said that the MGNREGS employees from now on would also get maternity and paternity leave and dearness and travelling allowances.
Over 3,000 technical assistants, assistant accountants, computer operators, programme assistants and Gram Rozgar Sevaks, working in 45 blocks in eight districts across the northeastern state to operate the scheme, were on an indefinite strike since Wednesday, demanding a raise in their salaries.
Hours after the government announcement, the agitating employees withdrew their three-day-long strike Friday afternoon.
The Left-ruled Tripura continues to be the leading state in the country in terms of average employment under the rural employment guarantee scheme, with the state providing 72.39 person-days of work in the last fiscal (2011-12).
"Tripura retained the top position since the 2009-10 fiscal in terms of person-days generation in the 2011-2012 financial year, followed by Andhra Pradesh (48.70 person-days) and Sikkim (47.43)," Chaudhury said.
He alleged that the central government was not releasing funds meant for the job scheme in due time.
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Comments:
Indian
May 19, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Excellent News! Appreciate Tripura govt on this move for rural Tripura.
What about those lakhs of educated unemployed (urban and semi urban) youths who are still lurking in darkness for lack of quality professional career opportunities right at home???
It is a painful fact that not even a single high tech corporate base (generating mass and quality employment opportunities) exists in Tripura .. which is infact the 'need of the hour' to get the agony off those unemployed youths who inspite of having potentials matched by best in the country gets deprived of a professional career at home or have to suffer a painful separation from family if forced to go outside for seeking job!!