NHRC seeks reply from Centre, 7 states on MGNREGA payments

National Human Rights Commission today issued notices to Secretary of Rural Development ministry and chief secretaries of seven states in connection with the non-payment of wages under the MGNREGA which allegedly forced people to commit suicide.
Taking a suo motu cognisance of media reports that seven families across Maharashtra and Jharkhand lost their members, who killed themselves owing to delayed payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, the Commission took the step.
According to an NHRC statement, the Commission has issued notices to the Secretary of Ministry of Rural Development and chief secretaries of the governments of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh calling for a report on the matter within six weeks.

Reportedly, 27 lakh labourers in West Bengal, 18.20 lakh in Bihar, 13.40 lakh in Kerala, 11 lakh in Rajasthan and 8.7 lakh in Andhra Pradesh are still waiting for their wages under MGNREGA.
According to the media reports, a family of four in Buldhana district of Maharashtra which worked in Sillod Tehsil of Aurangabad district under the MGNREGA for three consecutive years since 2009 did not get their wages.
The family had taken a loan of total Rs 1.5 lakh and later failing to repay the loans, they allegedly hanged themselves.
A Committee set-up additional CEO of Aurangabad reported that several workers were not paid their wages and the money had been deposited into fake accounts.

There were other reports of similar instances of suicides from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.