The State Government has not been able to pay Rs 288.06 crore for various works done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during the fiscal 2016-17 as on May 31, 2016 due to non-availability of funds, State Panchayat and Rural Development Department Minister Ajay Chandrakar informed Chhattisgarh Assembly on Tuesday.
He was replying to the question raised by leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo during the Question Hour in the House.
The Minister informed that during the financial year 2015-16 wages of Rs 39.64 crore was pending but all the wages for year 2014-15 have been paid.
Over the payment of pending wages, he stated that his Department had applied for getting the funds from both the Central and the State Government.
The process is underway and as soon as the Department receives the funds, the payments will be made, he said.
Singhdeo further inquired about number of families who have been given employment for 100 days to which the Minister informed that 2.42 lakh persons were provided with employment under MGNREGA across Chhattisgarh.
Replying to Opposition’s charges of inordinate delay in payment of wages despite a time limit of 15 days, Chandrakar said that under the process prescribed for payment of wages, it was not practically possible to make payments in the specified period of time.
He also pointed that this payment procedure was made during the UPA regime at the Centre to which leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo replied that now there is BJP rule in both Centre and State then why the procedure is not being corrected. later on, the Minister briefed about the entire process of payment under MGNREGA scheme.
It is taking four, five or even six months for getting the payments done and if situation does not improve, then people would stop working in MGNREGA projects, Singhdeo stated.
Meanwhile, Congress legislator from Doundilohara Anila Bhedia said that several Gram Panchayats in her constituency were yet to receive payments for MGNREGA works done in year 2014-15.
Chandrakar, however, rejected the claim while saying that he would get the issue investigated and if found true, then stern action would be taken against those responsible for the lapse.