Chiefs of tribal villages in Manipur Tuesday have objected to an order issued by the Hill Area Committee, a committee of state Assembly regarding the splitting of 100percent fund provision under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in hill villages.

In the order, Hill Area Committee, looking after the affairs of tribal people of five hill districts of Manipur issued in 2009 regarding the implementation of MGNREGA schemes splits the MGNREGA fund provision and allocated 50% to village authority, 25% to line department and 25% to district council, in the same manner as practice in the four valley districts of the state.

Strongly objecting the split of funds in such manner, All Tribal Chiefs’ Forum, Manipur today submitted a representation to the Hill Area Committee demanding review of the order.

In the representation, the forum asserted that such manner of splitting funds at the time of implementation of the MGNREGA can be feasible in the valley areas where facilities such as opening of individual accounts of job card holders can be easily open in the post office or nearby bank branches, good communication, etc. are available.

Before the order of the Hill Area Committee was issued, government authority after considering the difficulties in opening individual bank account, the MGNRENGA funds have been credited into the account of concerned village authorities formed by the SDO/BDOS.

Village chief asserted that the All Tribal Chiefs’ Forum, Manipur was not against the decentralization of the MGNREGA schemes by transferring the chairmen of the district councils but added that it want dislocation of MGNREGA funds.

“We fear the new system will hamper the progress of works at the cost of the individual beneficiaries,” the forum said, adding that the MGNREGA being a Central flagship programme under an Act of the Central government should not be made a mockery.