MGNREGA wages: House panel for removing caste-based payment method

The Committee headed by Shiv Sena member Prataprao Jadhav said, “A startling fact that came to the fore during the examination of Demands for Grants 2022-23 pertaining to MGNREGA was the audacious practice of wages being paid on the basis of caste, i.e. in the order of priority, starting from SC/ST to remaining others.”

“The Committee were aghast at such a revelation. Employing such modality surpasses any prudence whatsoever,” said the report that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The report states, “The scheme of MGNREGA draws its origin from a statutory source, i.e. MGNREG Act, 2005. Such absurdity is nowhere mentioned in the Act and digressing from the basic tenets of treating all the MGNREGA beneficiaries at par call for sternest possible criticism.”

“The beneficiaries of MGNREGA cutting across the different sections of society have only one thing in common, i.e. they are poor, destitute and have no other fall-back option, but MGNREGA to look upon for their basic source of survival. Creation of such payment system wherein one specific community is preferred over the other solely on the ground of caste will only give rise to resentment and create rift among the beneficiaries of MGNREGA,” the report said.

“In view of such piquant situation, the Committee unanimously recommend DoRD to restore the earlier mechanism of generation of single Fund Transfer Order without any sort of segregation on the basis of caste so that the welfare-oriented nature of MGNREGA is not divided on caste basis,” the report said.