THE central government has announced new wage rates for the people working under MNREGA for the year 2021-22. According to the revised rates announced by the Ministry of Rural Development on March 15, the enhancement is from Rs 0 to Rs 23 in different states.  At the national level, the hike is than four per cent which is unfair towards the poor rural workers, majority of whom are dalits, tribals and poor rural women. While the prices of essentials are skyrocketing, the government is reluctant to increase the wages.

TENS of thousands of farmers from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), blocked the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) Highway and the Kundli Ghaziabad Palwal (KGP) Highway at several points for 24 hours on April 10-11, 2021. All traffic on this crucial artery that connects the borders of Delhi and is a bypass for all the outer cities, ground to a halt. Huge public meetings were held along with songs and cultural programmes.

THE politics of polarisation and violence took its fatal toll in Sitalkuchi in Coochbehar district in the fourth phase of elections in West Bengal. Five youth were killed, four of them in CISF firing in a bizarre turn of events.Sitalkuchi witnessed communal campaign and incitement to violence from the BJP and the TMC even before the elections. In the election campaign, BJP leaders upped the ante of their poisonous campaign. On the other hand, chief minister Mamata Banerjee called upon ‘people’ to ‘gherao’ the central forces.

THE All India Kisan Sabha, in a statement issued on April 8, has condemned the decision of the Narendra Modi led BJP government to allow fertilizer companies to hugely hike the prices of chemical fertilizers. The price of DAP (18-46-00) which was Rs 24,000/MT in 2020 has now been increased to Rs 38,000/MT or an increase of Rs 14,000/MT. Farmers who were paying Rs 1200 for a 50 kg bag have to now pay Rs 1900. The prices of NPK complex fertilizers have also seen an exorbitant rise.

THE budget session of the Tripura Assembly was held on March 19-25, 2021. Time constraint was reflected on the very first day of the session.   The first day was allotted for the governor’s inaugural speech followed by the presentation of the budget 2021-22. After a long speech by the governor, the time left for the presentation of the budget was too short to present it by reading out fully. At this juncture, the speaker of the assembly came to the rescue of finance minister, Jishnu Debbarma and directed him to complete the presentation by reading the last part of the budget document.