MGNREGS: No wages for 2 months

By Ganesh Mavanji | NT

Mangaluru: Daily wagers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MGNREGS) are eagerly waiting for their wages which have not been paid for the last two months. Though they had approached the gram panchayat demanding the release of wages, it has not been paid so far.

To provide employment to unemployed youth in rural areas, the central government had brought in the scheme to ensure at least 100 days of employment to them in a year. When the whole country was battling the pandemic, the government continued with the scheme in rural areas, asking the workers to follow certain guidelines pertaining to Covid and so the scheme benefited not only daily wagers but also those rendered jobless due to Covid. During the initial period, the government used to pay wages to them once in 15 days but now, it is nearly two months since their wages have been credited to their accounts.

Most of the workers are women. As people of Dakshina Kannada depend on crops like arecanut, the government allowed them to take up work in areca plantations. Women excelled in this but are now left disappointed as their wages have not been credited.