CPM man dies in job pay dispute

MALDA, 7 AUG: Mantu Mandal (35), a registered labourer of the NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), was killed in a clash at Char-Sujapur village under Krishnapur gram panchayat in Kaliachak block III yesterday.

The clash broke out when a group of labourers staged an agitation in front of the house of a supervisor, Mrs Gouri Sarkar, engaged by the gram panchayat on a contract basis, demanding their legitimate wages for their previously carried out 100-days job.

The brother, son and other associates of Mrs Sarkar allegedly attacked the angry labourers.

One labourer, Mantu Mandal, identified as a CPI-M worker, was injured and admitted to Malda District Hospital with head injuries and succumbed late yesterday evening.

When the matter came to light, the district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh suggested starting an inquiry.

A general diary was lodged with the police station after the incident.

Mr Tanay Deb Sarkar, the district nodal officer of the NREGS said ~ based on the briefing of the BDO Mr GC Das ~ that it was not correct that payment to the labourers had not been made in the last two months.

The additional district programme coordinator for the NREGS in Malda, Mr Kajal Banerjee, said: “The measurements of a particular job where the labourers were engaged was wrongly calculated. There were differences between the calculation made by the job assistant of the gram panchayat and that made by the supervisor.

The labourers staged an agitation against the supervisor when they saw that their wages were less than expected.”

“Based on the inquiry report of the BDO of Kaliachak III (Mr GC Das) necessary action must be taken,” Mr Banerjee said.

Primary investigation revealed that Mrs Sarkar, though she was a member of a local self help group, did not physically do the job. Her brother and sometimes her son used to carry out the job instead.

It may be noted that the state government is encouraging the engagement of one supervisor on a contract basis (paying an unskilled labour payment) to oversee at least 50 labourers engaged in the NREGS and the progress of the work.

The government has also provided kits and training to supervisors of the 100-days job initiative.

The gram panchayat pradhan recruits such supervisors. ;SNS