Manipur to witness Indefinite National Highway Blockade from July 24

All Manipur Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNAREGA) implementing Agency Committee has warned of indefinite highway blockade on both National Highway if their MGNAREGA wages are not paid by on or before July 24.

The committee made the statement during a press meet held today at Manipur press club, Imphal. 
Speaking to media person, senior citizen forum, Kangpokpi President Seikhosat Kipgen said that, although the state government has already sanctioned more than 23 thousand lakh fund amount for 16 districts of Manipur, not a single fund for Senapati district has not been received till date. 

On the other hand, the central government has sanctioned more than 756 crore rupees wage component, but the state government has not released the fund till date. Due to this, most of the workers to be taken up under the MGNAREGA scheme in Manipur, he added. 

Seikhosat Kipgen further said that if the state government fails to release their MGNAREGA wages on or before July 24, indefinite highway blockade will be imposed on national highways from the next day as he warns. 

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), also known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is Indian legislation enacted on August 25, 2005. 

The MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage. The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments. 

This act was introduced with an aim of improving the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or un-skilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India. It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country. Roughly one-third of the stipulated work force must be women.