HC seeks report on NREGS payment

The Calcutta High court on Friday asked the state government to file a report on the wages given by it to beneficiaries under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in 2009.

Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity,a social organisation,had filed a PIL this week alleging that the state government had paid Rs 81 as daily wages to beneficiaries in 2009 against the provision of Rs 87.50 minimum wages for unskilled workers under the NREGS in the state.

Advocate Debasish Banerjee,the counsel for the petitioner,said the government did not pay the wages to workers as per the legal provision in the act.

In April 2009,the Central government had asked the state government to pay Rs 100 instead of the minimum wages of Rs 87.50 under the NREGS.

But the state government started paying Rs 100 to the beneficiaries only from December 2009,said Banerjee.

He said in the petition that state government paid around Rs 72 crore less to the beneficiaries.

Advocate General Bolai Roy said the short payment could be the result of a miscalculation and that the state would file a report in compliance with the order of the court.

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Following such submission,a division bench comprising Chief Justice J N Patel and Justice Mrinal Kanti Chaudhury asked the state to file the report within two weeks.

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