C'grah: Cong walks out of House over pending labour dues

The main opposition Congress today staged a walkout from Chhattisgarh Assembly after expressing unhappiness over the government's reply regarding the delay in clearing dues of labourers under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Taking up the issue under the Calling Attention Motion, Congress MLAs Girwar Janghel, Daleshwar Sahu and Motilal Dewangan raised the matter pertaining to the pending payments to labourers under the scheme in drought-hit districts of Rajnandgaon and Janjgir-Champa.
"To ensure relief to villagers hit by drought in Rajnandgaon district, the administration had started a series of works under MGNREGA in different villages.
"Despite the unavailability of funds, the administration had started works under the scheme and now villagers are wandering in government offices for receiving payment against their works.

"By March 1 this year, the administration had carried out works to the tune of around Rs 110 crores in 500 panchayats of the district and payments have been released for few works," Janghel said.
The MLA claimed that the payment of around Rs 2.5 crore is pending in Manpur block, Mohla (Rs 2.5 crore), Chowki (Rs 1 crore), Chhuriya (Rs 2.5 crore), Chhuikhadan (Rs 3 crore), Dongargaon (Rs 2.25 crore), Dongargarh (Rs 3 crore), Khairagarh (Rs 5.5 crore) and Rajnandgaon block (Rs 3 crore).

"While the villagers are reeling under financial crisis due to pending payment, the officials seem to be least concerned to clear their pending payments," Janghel alleged.

Other Congress MLAs said it was mentioned that payment of works carried out under MGNREGA should be released within a period of 15 days.
"Despite this, the payment of labourers in Janjgir-Champa district is pending from last several months," they said, adding a massive resentment is prevailing among labourers and common people.
In his reply, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ajay Chandrakar said, "It was correct that works under MGNREGA were started by the administration to provide employment opportunities to drought-affected villagers in Rajnandgaon.
"Similarly, it is also correct that payment to the tune of around Rs 31.93 crore is pending in the blocks".

The minister further informed that the payment against works carried out in the district under MGNREGA in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 have been completed.
"Out of 16,071 works sanctioned under the scheme in 2015-16, around 9,268 have been started. Presently, 5,519 works are ongoing under the scheme and around 24,756 labourers are engaged in it.
"As per the policy of government of India, disbursement of payment to labourers under the scheme is being done through bank and post-office," the minister said.
He said it was "incorrect" to say that villagers had to wander government offices for payments.
However, dissatisfied with his reply, the Congress members started raising slogans and walkout from the House.