The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan has announced the launch of the urban employment guarantee scheme in 42 newly created Municipal Councils, delivering a significant win for villagers who lost employment opportunities due to the conversion of village panchayats into urban local bodies. This decision follows a month-long protest in Bhim, Rajsamand district.
The Local Self Government Department has ordered the commencement of guaranteed employment works in the new Municipal Councils across 27 districts, designating nearby urban bodies to oversee the implementation. However, the regular official posts required to manage the scheme in these new municipal areas have yet to be established.
In July of the previous year, works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme were halted in the affected village panchayats, creating challenges for villagers reliant on this livelihood source. Despite a change of government, demands to reinstate these works went unanswered, prompting villagers to initiate an indefinite protest in Bhim at the end of January.
Devdungri village in Bhim tehsil serves as a notable center for the movement advocating the right to information, leading to the passage of the Right to Information Act in 2005. The recent agitation was organized by the Rajasthan Unorganised Labour Union, aligned with the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), whose executive president, Shankar Singh, emphasized the importance of securing the right to work for all seeking employment. “We will continue to assist the villagers in applying for job cards and hold government officials accountable for fair work distribution,” Mr. Singh stated.
The urban employment guarantee scheme, initiated by the prior Congress government in September 2022, aims to provide economic support to poor and needy families residing in urban areas. Under this scheme, eligible laborers can demand work for 100 days each year.
The Congress government had presented it as India’s largest initiative for guaranteed urban employment, drawing parallels to the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) implemented by the UPA government in 2006. Residents aged 18 to 60 within urban local body limits qualify for employment opportunities in specified sectors.
The new BJP administration has opted to continue the scheme amidst concerns about the widening gap in labor force participation between rural and urban sectors. Additional initiatives, including an unemployment allowance program, are also in effect in the state.
In response to the government’s decision, villagers held a “victory march” in Bhim, culminating at Sujaji Ka Chowk, where prominent speakers, including MKSS founder Aruna Roy and RTI activist Nikhil Dey, addressed the crowd. Ms. Roy remarked on the historical struggles led by women in Bhim for RTI and NREGA, asserting that perseverance and dedication could lead to further victories in social causes, including urban employment.
March participants delivered a memorandum to the Block Development Officer, requesting the swift issuance of job cards and the initiation of work within the Bhim Municipal Council. The scheme’s tasks, typically categorized under eight heads, include activities such as tree planting, pond cleaning, door-to-door garbage collection and segregation, and the capture of stray animals.
Published – March 02, 2024 03:04 am IST
