DJ Venkatesh
Port Blair, Aug 11: Delay in release of wages is likely to ruin fast approaching festive season for scores of labourers in the North and Middle Andaman region engaged under the MNREGA scheme. According to reports, due to shortage of funds and poor administration, the MNREGA workers engaged for various projects have not been disbursed their wages for the last three months, despite a firm guideline under the Act to disburse wages to the workers, failing which, the workers will become entitled for ‘unemployment bhatta’ after 15 days of non-payment.
Though the Department of Rural Development has shot letters to the concerned Ministry following a series of representations from PRI members of the region, the Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, has not yet released the first tranche of funds for the MNREGA scheme for these islands.
“Delay in disbursal of MNREGA wages has become a common phenomenon in the North and Middle Andaman region. It is now more than three months that our hard-earned salaries have been held up by the district administration. The festive season is fast approaching and our families are living in despair. It’s now become difficult to make our ends meet as the monthly wages generated by working under the MNREGA scheme is the sole source of sustenance for us and our families.
Thousands of families in various parts of the region have been employed under the MNREGA scheme for various projects. But without wages, they are facing innumerable hardships. Besides purchase of food provisions have become a tricky affair with penniless pockets. We are left with no other option than to hold protests to claim our salaries, say some labourers.
It has been learnt that the District Administarion at N & M Andaman has already communicated this matter 3-4 times to the R & D at Port Blair.
