PIL seeking release of wages to MGNREGA workers
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 19: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference seeking directions for release of unpaid wages to around 23.5 lakh poor workers engaged under MGNREGA , Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sindhu Sharma has issued show-cause notice to the Government.
ASGI Vishal Sharma accepted notice on behalf of Union of India through Secretary Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Rural Development and Senior AAG HA Siddiqui on behalf of Rural Development Department & Panchayati Raj. Advocate Deewakar Sharma appeared for the PIL.
“Despite the express provisions for disbursement of wages within a maximum prescribed period of 15 days, these children of lesser Gods and forsaken souls, had not been paid fully by the respondents and from the year 2015 till date a huge amount of around Rs 29108.96 lakh stands as liability against the respondents for the due payment of wages out of which an amount of Rs 19224.69 lakh is due against the payment of wages of unskilled workers and an amount of Rs 9884.27 lakh is due on the payment of wages of skilled and semi-skilled workers”, the PIL said.
“The workers are living economically and socially distressed life during the most testing times of current pandemic due to non payment of their due wages”, the PIL further said.
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