NHRC warns CS, wants report in four weeks

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned the Chief Secretary of invoking Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 for not complying with its repeated direction and directed to submit the report in connection with the use of machine in MGNREGA in Nayagarh district.Acting on a petition filed by Angul-based Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain commission has recently directed the authorities to submit the report within four weeks.

The petitioner alleged the job card beneficiaries in Nayagarh district have been deprived of jobs under the Centrally-sponsored flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) though the scheme aims at providing guaranteed employment for at least 100 days a year.“The Nayagarh district administration is undertaking work under the MGNREGA using machines instead of labourers with help of bankers and brokers as a result a large number of people are going outside the State as migrant labourers violating basic human rights,” the petitioner alleged. She had urged the commission to initiate criminal case against the concerned officials responsible for the irregularities at the earliest.