Kollam: MNREGA shortchanges workers on flood work'
On an average, only 36.5 person days per household have been given under MNREGA in the state as of now.
Kollam: The additional working days announced by the Union government for MNREGA workers in the state to ease the impact of flood disaster has not yet been made available.
The 50 additional working days for MGNREGA project, as announced by the Centre, have not yet been incorporated in the Management Information System (MIS) by the authorities.
This has kept the workers at the receiving end. The Central government had made the announcement as part of supporting the state by including in various projects instead of pumping in liquid cash. However, these working days are now not within the reach of workers.
A total of 4,65,70,254 working days in the whole of Kerala was given for some 53,72831 workers registered under the MGNREGA during this financial year.
There are 34,36,975 families having job cards under the MGNREGA while only 13,888 families have been given a full course of 100 working days, of late.
On an average, only 36.5 person days per household have been given under MNREGA in the state as of now.
In the e-muster roll in MIS that marks attendance of the workers, the remaining days after they have achieved a total of 100 working days are cancelled using a cross (x) mark which makes it impossible for them to claim the additional 50 working days announced, an official from MGNREGA state cell told this newspaper.
“The employees who have completed 100 are waiting to avail the 150 working days as per the announcement by the Central government,” he added.
It is learnt that the deliberations to implement the announcement are moving at a snail’s pace. Meanwhile, the panchayat authorities are being blamed for the technical error caused by the Central government. It is also alleged that the state government had not taken any measure to rectify the issue.