MGNREGA workers not paid wages in Kangra

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, May 29

Hundreds of people in the rural areas of Kangra district, engaged in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), have not been paid their wages for the past six months.

Wait on for 6 months

The situation is same all over the district and it is happening for the first time in the past five years when wages of MGNREGA workers have been delayed for six months. — Village pradhans

Besides, most works under MGNREGA have come to standstill in the absence of funds for the purchase of materials like cement and steel, etc.

Talking to The Tribune, a number of panchayat pradhans claimed that the situation was same all over the district and it was happening for the first time in the past five years when wages of MGNREGA workers were delayed for such a long period. As per the provisions of MGNREGA, the beneficiaries should receive their dues in their bank accounts within 15 days of the completion of the works.

“It’s been more than six months since the muster roll for works has been submitted, the beneficiaries haven’t got the payment,” said Seema Kumari, Pradhan, Bathan panchayat. “It has also slowed down several development works,” she added.

“Admitting that the payments have not been released for over six months now, a Block Development Officer says that the issue cropped up last year when the state overachieved its half-yearly targets. The government has requested the Centre to re-allocate MGNREGA budget. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved in a few days,” he added.

The impact of the delayed payments has been more in Kangra, where more people have the MGNREGA job cards. In the district, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs are dependent on MGNREGA for their day-to-day expenses. The delay has adversely hit thousands of families.

With the loss of jobs because of Covid in the past two years, the dependence on MGNREGA has increased in the district. Thousands of youths working in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana have returned to their native places. The scheme has supported such people and the government should ensure the smooth flow of payments.