Although biometric-based wage payment for MGNREGA workers (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) has been introduced across the State, still a large number of workers have to run from pillar to post to get their wages.
To address the problem of MGNREGA workers and find the glitches behind establishment of biometric-based wage payment system, a workshop on direct benefit transfer under MGNREGA and national social assistance programme (NSAP) was organised jointly by Government of Jharkhand and Ministry of Rural Development and Government of India here on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said, “In Jharkhand, aadhaar enrolment is close to 95 per cent but irony is that still workers have to run for their wages. Moreover, the pressure on banks for direct benefit transfer (DBT) was increasing whereas in 50 per cent of villages post office played a pivotal role.”
He further mentioned new nomenclatures of DBT to DTH (direct to home) that can be possible in the long run so that people should not come to bank and post office rather bank and post offices are ready to provide the benefits at their door step.
In as many as 200 post offices the biometric-based wage payment system is being carried out, around 3,800 post offices were yet to install this system.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, sharing information about the same, said, “The effort put forth in linking the wages of MNREGA workers with technology is really commendable. It is the direst need of the hour to monitor each village and analyse the problem and accordingly plan to remove the glitches.” He also mentioned that for women workers there required a separate programme and also to expand the number of banks in the State.
“We must make efforts to establish distribution points across the State and should link it with corporate banks and rural banks as it will prove beneficial for the workers in procuring their wages on time,” added Chief Secretary RS Sharma.