Gujarat HC issues notice to government

The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the state government in connection with a petition filed by a widow against irregularities in paying minimum wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

The notice was issued by Justice H K Rathod after the petitioner, Mashruben Makwana, a widow from Banaskantha district of north Gujarat, filed the appeal on Monday.

The court also directed the state government to produce before it on June 30 the payment sheets and calculations made regarding the scheme to the petitioner by the concerned department.

In her petition Makwana, a resident of Balisana village, said that she was being paid Rs four per day instead of Rs 60 as a labourer, as stipulated by the scheme.

The NREGS scheme of the UPA government promised atleast 100 days of employment every financial year to adults who volunteer for unskilled manual labour in districts chosen by it.

"Makwana, a mother of five children, had enrolled in this scheme in February this year but was disappointed that she got only Rs four instead of Rs 60 that was promised.

She did not even know what was the stipulated amount till she approached us and we used the right to information act to get information", said Natubhai, who runs the NGO Sabar Ekta Manch.

The activist said that Makwana was not a solitary case of exploitation and there were others in the same village and surrounding areas who were also "cheated" off their money.