Caste-based wage payment started earlier this year. Previously, there was no provision for any category-wise prioritization of wage payment under MG-NREGS. All employees working in a location would get the payment at the same time.
The Standing Parliamentary Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has heavily charged the government with linking the wage payment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MG-NREGS) to the beneficiary’s caste.
“A surprising fact that emerged during the examination of grant applications 2022-23 related to the wage payment mechanism used under MG-NREGA was the audacious practice of paying wages to the beneficiaries on a caste basis. ie in order of priority starting from SC/ST to the rest of the others,” the commission, headed by Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav, said in a recent report.
Caste-based wage payment started earlier this year. Previously, there was no provision for any category-wise prioritization of wage payment under MG-NREGS. All employees working in a location would get the payment at the same time.
“The Committee was in a total ‘loss of words’ and could not fathom the rationale behind such an idea. MGNREGA’s scheme has its origins in a legal source, namely the MGNREG Act, 2005. Such an absurdity is not mentioned anywhere in the law and strays from the basic principles of treating all MGNREGA beneficiaries equally, and calls for strict possible criticism,” said the parliamentary panel. said.
It said the practice, unless repealed, will cause resentment and rift among the beneficiaries of MGNREGA.
The commission also expressed concern that the scheme is riddled with malpractice ranging from false job cards, irregularities with funds, unfair practices in the use of machines to name a few.
“Real workers not getting their dues, while money keeps changing hands due to a conspiracy of unscrupulous elements around the implementation of the plan at ground level, is a bitter truth of the time.
Such dishonest activities must be dealt with vigorously to prevent the plan from becoming completely muddled in the hands of the few,” the commission said.
It suggested that the Department of Rural Development would come up with some concrete measures to ensure an aggressive way of overseeing the scheme, to eliminate the unfair practices associated with the scheme and not to shift the responsibility onto the states. .
This post MG-NREGS: Caste-Based Wage Payments Rage House Panel
was original published at “https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/mg-nregs-caste-based-wage-payment-angers-house-panel/2464886/”
