Tripura Urban Employment Programme(TUEP): An Overview

Amitabha Sinha
Tripura University

1. On 15th May 2009, Urban Development Department of Government

of Tripura launched TUEP by issuing a memorandum. In order to
provide employment opportunities in urban areas, TUEP was
introduced in Tripura in the urban areas. TUEP is modeled on
NREGA. However, there are certain differences also to suit ground
realities.
2. Some of the major features of the TUEP can be discussed briefly.
2(a) Procedure of application:

The urban households shall have to submit the names of their family
members, age and address with photographs to the Local Body. The
Local Bodies are Agartala Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayats.
The Urban Local Body will register BPL households after making field
verification and issue Job Cards. The Job Cards shall contains details of
adult members of the households and there photographs. The registered
persons shall submit written application for work to the Urban Local
Body.

(b) Wages:
Wage per day shall be the notified minimum wage which is now
Rs.100/-.

(c) Employment Days:

It has been decided to provide 50 days of employment in a year to one

adult member of each listed BPL family.

(d)Nodal Agency:
The Urban Local Body shall be the nodal agency for implementation of
schemes of different line departments which have specific projects.

(e) Type of Work:

Sl.N Type of Work

o.
1. Garbage Collection and Disposal
2. Clearing of Roads
3. Roadside Jungle Clearance
4. Avenue Plantation
5. Flood Protection Measures
6. New Road- Brick Soiling
7. Maintenance/ Beautification of Park, Play Ground, Water
Areas, Community Services etc.
 8. Routine Main

The list is illustrative and not exhaustive.

F. Payment System:
Workers shall be paid wages through post office or bank account only.
While opening accounts preference will be given to post offices, Urban
Development Banks, Gramin Bank, State Co-operative Banks and other
nationalized Banks. Payment of wages will be made within 7 days of
work done.
G. Transparency Measures:
(i) Carefully preparing Job Register.
(ii) 100% verification of Muster Roll.
(iii) Using numbered Muster Roll to be issued by Implementing
Officer only.
(iv) Payment through Post office/Bank Accounts.
(v) Conducting social audit twice a year.
(vi) Complaint monitoring and grievance redresses.
(vii)Vigilance and Monitoring Committee at ULB level.
(viii)Gradual transition to computerized data bases within a time
frame with assistance from Director, IT and NIC.
H. Planning and Monitoring Mechanism:
(i) Each ULB shall form a cell with existing 2 Grade-C and 1 Grade-D
employees.
(ii)The Cell will be headed by the Chief Executive Officer/Executive
Officer.
(iii)At state level, there shall be a Monitoring Unit in the Urban
Development Department headed by the Director.
(iv)ULBs shall submit Utilization Certificate to Directorate of Urban
Development.
(3) Progress of Work:
The following table shows the distribution of Job Cards in the 16 Urban
Areas of Tripura.
Sl. NAME OF THE JOB FUND MANDAYS
No. AMC& NP CARDS PLACED
ISSUED (Rs. In
LAKHS)
1 2 3 4 5
1 Agartala Municipal 21664 705.99 705.99
Council
2 Dharmanagar 1531 130.26 130.26
3 Kailashar 1447 68.07 68.07
4 Kumarghat 1086 38.15 38.15
5 Kamalpur 1017 22.04 22.04
6 Khowai 1289 41.52 44.52
7 Teliamura 2305 63.47 63.47
8 Ranirbazar 1495 52.70 52.70
9 Sonamura 1774 31.15 31.15
10 Udaipur 1899 57.80 57.80
11 Amarpur 788 20.02 20.02
12 Sabroom 848 39.46 39.46
13 Belonia 1572 64.50 64.50
14 Bishalgarh 1328 20.00 20.00
15 Ambassa 876 29.00 29.00
16 Santibazar 1596 23.00 22045
 Total 42515 1407.43 454851

TUEP-Tripura Urban Employment Programme: A Case Study on

Agartala Municipal Council, Ward No.33

Ward no. 33 is located in the extended area of Agartala Municipal

Council. The total geographical area of this ward is 4 sq. km. Total
population of this ward is about 11,495 and most of the population
belongs to scheduled castes and other backward communites. Among
1178 families only 204 families have the BPL card. Apart from those,
154 families are provided Antodaya and Annapurna Scheme.

In the annual conference of the Ward it was announced that 384

families are also getting allowance under social security scheme.
Moreover, there is a plan to bring 315 families under this social security
scheme. 160 families are covered under worker help scheme.

Educational infrastructure of this ward is good. There is one higher

secondary school, two junior basic schools, eleven Angan Wadi Centres
(AWC) and one Sarva Shiksha Centre (SSC). There is a good scope for
learning cultural activities. There is a town hall named Samar Chaudhuri
Memorial House (Bhavan), a Community Hall named Bankumari
community hall and Usha Ranjan Open Theater. There are four Fair
Price Shops to distribute the essential commodities among the people.
There is a 5 member committee to supervise the activities of these Fair
Price Shops. There is one health centre and one sub centre to provide
medical care.

Three (3) deep tube wells, 8 tube wells, 3 sanitary wells, 3 Mark-IIs
and 1 Mark-I tube well are there as sources of drinking water. Pure
water is supplied through 45 pipe lines in this locality. The ward is
advanced in terms of consumption of electricity. Around 98% area of the
locality comes under electricity service. Under Kutir Jyoti Scheme, 105
families are covered. Seventy additional families are proposed to bring
under this scheme. To provide street light facility, electric line
installation work has been completed upto 5 km. Three (3) km. electric
extension is also sanctioned. Fifty five (55) sodium vapour lamps, 5 tube
lights and 254 CFL bulbs have been provided for purposes of street
lighting.

Under the TUEP Scheme, 1,095 families have been provided Job
Card. Through this scheme huge numbers of fixed assets have been
created through the money sanctioned under the scheme. More over a
number of roads have been constructed in this ward under other schemes
and old roads are also repaired. Mud drains are converted into pucca
drains. Most of the government offices are now pucca buildings. In the
last financial year total expenditures under TUEP scheme was Rs. 31,
02,453. 12,751 working days have been created under this scheme. All
together it can be said that development works are on progress.