Ganderbal, Feb 22: Centrally sponsored flagship scheme MGNREGA is in crunches as hundreds of Laborers in Ganderbal decry failure of Rural Development Department (RDD) in releasing their wages.
According to sources, all seven blocks of RDD in Ganderbal are in huge liability as bills in crores are pending in the department from last three years .
Sources said that the department has liability of around 17 crores which include 7.34 crore wages of laborers and around 10 crore material component.
A local labourer said, “Hundreds of development works under NREGA scheme were completed in last three years but bills are still pending in the department.”
“Government had promised us 90 day guaranteed wage employment but we have no money to feed our family,” he added.
One of the laborers, Abdul Rashid, who had taken construction work of RDD said, “I am sole earner of my family. I invested all my saving on constructing a development work under NREGA scheme but cost material component for the same is yet to be released.”
Sources within the department said government has violated the guidelines of MGNREGA by failing to release the payment of wages to laborers in the stipulated time.
The laborers have appealed the governor administration to look into the matter.
