Pipon Gain
Chainpur, Middle Andaman April 10: The Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Chainpur, Mr. Johnson Kerketta has submitted an important letter to the Chief Secretary of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, requesting enhancement of remuneration for MGNREGA staff and payment of their salaries from the UT Budget.
The letter highlights that various functionaries under MGNREGA—including Program Officers, Assistant Engineers, Accountants, Data Entry Operators, Technical Assistants, and Gram Rozgar Sevaks—are currently receiving very low remuneration. While employees in other departments receive up to approximately ₹28,000 under the 1/30 DRM system, MGNREGA field-level staff are being paid only around ₹14,000 per month, which is inadequate in the present cost of living scenario.
It is further mentioned that due to rising inflation and increasing workload, employees are finding it difficult to manage their household expenses. Field staff are required to frequently visit work sites, while higher-level officials are also facing increased pressure due to growing administrative and paperwork responsibilities.
Additionally, referring to the letter issued by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, dated 15 February 2019, it has been stated that administrative expenses under MGNREGA are permissible up to 6% of the total expenditure. Any expenditure beyond this limit can be borne by the UT Administration from its own resources. The Ministry has also conveyed that it has no objection to the payment of MGNREGA staff salaries from the UT Budget.
The Gram Panchayat Chainpur has urged the Administration to consider enhancing the remuneration of MGNREGA staff and ensure payment from the UT Budget so that they can sustain their livelihood and perform their duties with better motivation and efficiency.
