Over 5000 labourers owing allegiance to CPM Kalgachia and Titapani local committees staged a stir on May 15 last on the premises of Rupsoi development block, Kalgachia under Barpeta district protesting against alleged corruption and anomalies by the concerned officers and employees in accomplice with a section of brokers in the name of implementing the NREGA schemes in the block area. In the memorandum, submitted to Madhusudhan Nath, Sr BDO-cum-Programme Officer, Rupsoi development block, they expressed grave concern over non-allotment of job cards to the labourers of many villages under his block till date, though NREGA schemes were started in 2007-08 fiscal year in Barpeta district. Besides, many job cardholders allegedly have not yet been given work for a single day, and even those who got work are given work for only 2 to 25 days out of 100 days. It was mentioned in the memorandum that various anomalies and mismanagement had been found while giving wages to the workers. The rules of providing wages during every 15 days are also violated as in Chikni, Lachanga, Titapani and Showpur GPs labourers have not been paid their wages even after three months of time. Likewise, in the GPs like Guileza, Banghugi, Balaipathar, Haladhiya and Showpur, works under the rural scheme were left half done despite having allotted funds. It is also alleged in the memo that no nameplates for the schemes were maintained and facilities of waiting shed, urinal, toilet and medicine are not made for the working labourers in any of the panchayats. On the other hand, women are being deprived of works while implementing the schemes. Even, during the last year, wages were grafted preparing fake MR in the name of loitering job card holders. The memo submitted to the BDO contained some significant demands voiced by the labourers, such as to generalise the PDS, to pay the due wages to the labourers who worked under NREGA in 2007-08 in Rupsoi block, to complete all the half-done schemes in different GPs under Rupsoi block, to ensure health and hygiene of the labourers, to take signature of the labourers on their MR while making payments, to provide 33% works to women as per norms of NREGA and ensure 100 days works in 2008-09 fiscal year. The copies of the memo were also sent to the DC of Barpeta and to the Panchayat & Rural Development Minister of Assam. CPM Kalgachia and Titapani local committees sent another memo to the PM through the postmaster of Kalgachia post office urging him to take necessary steps to bring down the soaring prices of essential commodities and to revamp the public distribution system. They also urged the PM to make the implementation of NREGA schemes corruption-free.