SHILLONG, MAR 27: Functionaries from twenty-one VECs in North Garo hills district wants the government to revoke the engagement of a supplier as they say that it is a violation of the basic guidelines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREG) Act.
“We demand immediate revocation of the engagement of the supplier for the material component sanctioned under MNREGS,” 21-Strong VECs Forum falling under Bolson B Mahal GSC said in a joint representation submitted to the BDO of Resubelpara on Friday.
The resolution against the alleged anomaly that crept in the implementation of the schemes under MNREGS was also taken up at a circle meeting of the VECs held recently, they said.
The meeting expressed concerns over the engagement of Topstar N Marak of Omorpur village as the sole supplier of material components of the scheme sanctioned under NREGS for cement, iron rod, skilled/semiskilled labour together with the hiring of vehicle / labour charges leaving aside the components related to stone chips, sand collection and foundation-making to the management by the VECs.
“The engagement of the supplier is found to be a clear violation and unwarranted dilution of the structures contained in the operation guidelines that stipulates that – the scheme shall not permit engaging of any contractor/middleman for implementation of projects,” Forum Chairman Elsilliah Sangma said in the letter.
According to him, as the NREGA is a right-based law govern by the principles of transparency, accountability and grass-root democracy, engaging a middleman in the guise of a supplier apart from grossly violating the basic guidelines could in a major way erode the role, power and function of the duly constituted VECs and virtually reduced that to mere skeletal entities since the entire fund earmarked for the material component will be channelized through the supplier who is driven by profit motives, will inevitably turn NREGA into a business concern.
“The meeting reminds the authorities concerned that the wage-seekers are the primary stakeholders of the Act and as such nothing can be taken away from their rights without their express consent,” he said.
He further added, the functionaries of the VECs also remind the block authorities that the material component seemingly item-specific are but a series of adjustments of the component against each other any balance left is utilized for creating other minor assets.
“Such balances left will be sucked into the supplier’s kitty which is against the spirit of the Act,” Sangma stated.
The circle meeting also unanimously resolved that the 21-Strong VECs Forum under Bolsong B Mahal GSC under no circumstances will accept the engagement of the supplier for the material component of the NREGA Scheme and that the respective VECs should accordingly assume full responsibilities of the material component of the Scheme as before.
The meeting took a serious view of the dismal scenario of the VECs falling far below the targeted 100 mandays of guaranteed employment in the financial year either through lethargy on the part of the VEC functionaries or due to red-tapism in the block office and which the meeting felt tantamount to a flat denial of the guaranteed employment as enshrined in the Act that could endanger the social security net of the wage-seekers in absence of alternative employment, he said.- By Our Reporter
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