Months after NREGA work,1,250 workers await payments

These 1,250 people were involved mainly in the work of dyke construction at Patharpratima block after Aila (May 25,2009),first from June 2009 to 2009 and then from November 2009 to March 2010.

Under the NREGA scheme,payments are to be made to the workers in 14 days or else a late fine is to be provided for late payment of wages. But in this area of South 24 Parganas,which was devastated by Aila,there has been massive migration of labour.

In South 24 Parganas the averge NREGA work has been for 25 days while the state average has been 45 days and in districts like Purulia the average has been 65 days. As patience ran out,the workers started protesting over this issue. The protests started in April and have continued till now without much success. Even in June,about 400 workers gheroed the Patharpratima block office,demanding payment of wages.

“There are some problems and there have been delays in the payment. We have sought a report from the district administration about it,” said a senior official overseeing the implementation of NREGA in the state.

Patharpratima block development officer Ajay Kumar Halder accepts that are over 1,000 people whose wages are pending. “There are very few banks in this area and,thus,payment of wages becomes difficult. Other than this,the post office has very few employees and it takes two months jush to encash a bank draft,” the BDO noted. Officials pointed out that at some places,the gram panchayats involved people for NREGA projects that had not been not sanctioned under the NREGA scheme. “We are trying to sanction these works which were not sanctioned after post facto,” the BDO said.

The daily wage earners,however,charge that there is a lack of will on the part of the political leadership to come to the workers’ help. “There is a paucity of funds and as soon as they reach us,they would be distributed,’ said S K Shamima,Sabhadhipati of the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad which is run by the TMC.