AJKPC puts J&K govt on legal notice over 'Rs 1,000 cr' MGNREGA liabilities

The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), a body of elected Panchayat members, has sent a legal notice to government officials over non-payment of wages under the MGNREGA rural employment guarantee scheme.

The outfit alleged that liabilities on the J&K government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) have gone up to Rs 1,000 crore over the past four years.

"On behalf of the AJKPC, a legal notice to senior officers of J&K government has been drafted and served by Gagan Oswal, Advocate J&K High Court, with regard to liabilities of MGNREGA", AJKPC president Anil Sharma told reporters here.

He said the AJKPC served the legal notice to the Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of J&K, Secretary Rural Development Department, Additional Secretary RDD, Member Secretary (MGNREGA) J&K government and other officials concerned.

The outfit has asked them to clear the pending wages and dues under MGNREGA within 15 days from the date of receipt of the notice i.e. November 11, 2019 failing which they may approach the court.

"The MGNREGA workers in rural areas have lost their faith in the scheme due to non-payment of timely wages. No new development works has been undertaken since 2018, clearly reflecting the present status of this flagship programme in J&K," he said.

He urged Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to immediately take up the matter with the Union government for early clearance of the pending wages.