Uttarakhand
Muradi Demands Village Status Back
- 04 Jun 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Muradi was merged into Naugaon Nagar Panchayat in 2018, alongside Mungra, Naugaon, and Dhari Gram Panchayats.
- Since becoming part of the Nagar Panchayat, the village residents have reported experiencing more losses than gains.
Key Points
- Agriculture is the primary income source in village, but Nagar Panchayat lacks farming facilities.
- Irrigation canals (kools) maintained by the former Gram Panchayat are now neglected.
- Increased wild animal intrusions (monkeys, pigs, stray cattle) threaten crops.
- A major canal damaged during highway expansion has remained unrepaired for five years and smaller canals also suffer damage, impacting irrigation.
- Local youth raised Rs 35,000 for temporary canal repairs, which proved ineffective without government support.
- Transition from Gram Panchayat to Nagar Panchayat led to the loss of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) benefits.
- Residents now face higher house taxes, water, and electricity tariffs without service improvements.
- A major concern of Muradi residents is the increased migration.
- The village boasts a historically non-migratory community, but residents fear that urban incorporation will disrupt this tradition.
MGNREGA Scheme
- About:
- MGNREGA is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Rural development.
- It 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.
- Implementation Agency:
- The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.
- Objective:
- This act was introduced with an aim of improving the Purchasing Power of the rural people, primarily semi or unskilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India.
- It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country.
