Hike MGNREGA wages, clear liabilities: AJKPC

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 30: All J&K Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) here today claimed that Government has failed to clear financial liabilities under the Centre’s flagship scheme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, the AJKPC leaders said the scheme aimed at generating employment among rural masses has now gone directionless in J&K.
“It is unfortunate that financial liabilities of financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 and onwards under MGNREGA scheme have not been cleared till date,” Anil Sharma, AJKPC president told reporters adding that the worst sufferers of this are workers and material suppliers who supplied tiles, sand, gravel etc for MGNREGA works.
He also said that even wages of highly skilled labourers have not been cleared which is in utter violation of guidelines of the Act.
The AJKPC leader appealed the UT administration to take the matter with Centre to increase employment generating days under MGNREGA to 200 in a year.
“We request the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene into the matter,” Sharma maintained adding that wages of MGNREGA workers in J&K should be increased to Rs. 350 per day.
Parveena Akhtar, Gulzar Ahamed Dar, Salochna Devi and others were also present on the occasion.