The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Chief Secretary to file a report within four weeks over irregular and delayed payments of wages to labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA). The Commission has issued the notice while acting on a complaint filed by rights activist Akhand.
According to the petitioner, the State Government has not paid the wages of poor labourers of the State worked under the MGNREGA. Several workers were not paid their wages due to negligence of the administration. lakhs of people in the State are still waiting for their wages under the MGNREGA.
“Odisha Government is not serious to clear the backlog payment of wages to workers under MNREGA. State Government should give utmost priority and disburse all delayed payments to beneficiaries immediately, as it is a matter of livelihood of poor laborer,” alleged Akhand.
The MGNREGA stipulates that wage payments be made within 15 days. As per the Management Information System (MIS) of Union Ministry of Rural Development, wages amounting to `216 crore, which is 41 per cent of the total wage payment, had been delayed by over 15 days by the State Government while `29 crore out of the total wage payments was delayed by over 60 days. But no compensations were paid for the delayed payments as per provision.