Violation of standing

06/12/2019

As per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the labourers engaged on various works under MGNREGA in Panchayats/ Blocks must get their wages maximum by 14 days, but officials of RDD, in sheer violation of standing Govt norms and Labour Laws, have failed to make payments to the labour class even after four years. Liability created by the Rural Development Department (RDD) towards payment of the wages of the labour class and the material used in various development works during last 4 years under MGNREGA Scheme, has reached up to Rs 600 crores in Jammu and Kashmir, forcing Sarpanches and Panches to come on the roads and launch hunger strike. Apart from current financial year, this liability on account of material supplied by various agencies, private parties and payments of wages to the labour class is pending for the last about four years under various works initiated across the Jammu Kashmir under MGNREGA in the rural Blocks and various Panchayats. The liability component is less in Kashmir, say around Rs 150 crore while in Jammu division it is nearly Rs 450 crores.
Some money was released twice during current financial year by the Administrative Department to various Blocks with a rider not to make old payments under MGNREGA. The concerned DDOs have been directed to clear liability of only current financial year. Data indicates that though focus of the RDD officers was to clear wage liability on priority but even then this component was whopping. Wrong entries, violations in wage-material ratio said to have created this huge liability for the Department. The previous PDP-BJP Government focused much on raising assets rather than providing employment to poor under MGNREGA and it ultimately, disturbed the wage-material ratio. The Government of India has been sending huge amount in Rural Development sector every year. Data compiled from the RDD has revealed that in district Kishtwar, liability created by the concerned RDD officers was to the tune of Rs 90 crores pending till date on account of labour as well as material component. Out of the total, nearly Rs 40 crore amount pertains to labour class while about Rs 50 crore material component. No fresh liability of current financial year was pending in the district. Now the UT Administration headed by the new Lt Governor and the Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj should pay heed in resolving the issue.

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