MNREGA workers, who have not received their daily wages due to poor network of internet or banks and post offices in their villages, may get their payments soon in cash.
The Union Rural Development Ministry is mulling to write to the State Governments to identify 800-1,000 blocks, which have not been able to pay wages due to technical problems to the workers associated with the rural job scheme.The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 clearly says that the disbursement of daily wages shall be made on a weekly basis or in any case not later than a fortnight after the date on which such work was done.
However, even after eight years of the implementation of MGNREGA and the number of measures taken for timely wage payment, serious delays in payment have been arecorded, noted a senior RD official. It has been found that on an average around 40 per cent of the total wage payments are delayed for more than 15 days.
In fiscal year 2013-14 around 16 per cent of the total payments were delayed between 15 to 30 days, 15 per cent were delayed for 30 to 60 days, 7 per cent of payments were delayed for 60 to 90 days and 6 per cent were delayed for more than 90 days, the official added.
He enlisted delay in closure of muster roll (MR) and its computerization, inadequate staff for taking measurement of work done, inordinate delay in measurement of work in spite of dedicated staff, excessive time taken to link MRs with the measurement book and delayed generation of wage lists among a few others as major reasons for the delay in wage payments.
“While steps are being taken to correct the flaws leading to delay in wage payments, our immediate priority is to address the workers who are being made to wait for their wages in want of post offices and banks,” the official said.
“We will write to all the States to identify 800-1000 blocks in the country-based on criteria of low or nil internet connectivity and non-existence of banks/Post Offices — for allowing payments through cash in these places. Once this happen, they will be paid their dues,” he said.