For months now, unskilled workers engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been a disgruntled lot. Though they have been toiling under the sun all these days, the payments for the same have not yet been credited to their accounts.
That this comes in a year in which the State generated more employment than in all the preceding years, to provide jobs to the flood- ravaged population, has only compounded matters. As on March 31, the outstanding MGNREGS wage payment for the State from the Central government is ₹1,316 crore.
As per the initial labour budget, the Central government had approved 5.5 crore person-days of work this year for Kerala. In view of the unprecedented floods that hit the State last year, the State government requested that this be increased to at least 11 crore person-days. The Centre finally approved 7 crore person-days of work.
Days of work provided
Till March 31, the State has provided 9.74 crore person-days of work, which is 139.22% over and above the revised labour budget. This is way above the national average of 103%. As many as 4.4 lakh families were provided with 100 days of work, while the average days of work provided per individual has now increased to 66. “The issue begins from the annual budget itself. The Central government has not been allocating sufficient amount for the MGNREGS in its annual budget for the past few years. Often, much of the amount will be used up in clearing the arrears from the previous year. The fund crunch often hits around the month of November, from when it is a long wait till next financial year for the workers. Most of them depend solely on these wages for their survival,” says an official in the MGNREGS State Mission.
Minister for Local Self-Governments A.C. Moideen had written letters in February and March this year to the Union Minister of Rural Development requesting for funds. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had sent a request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 19 regarding the unpaid wages.
A wage crisis of this magnitude hit the MGNREGS workers back in the 2016-17 financial year, when as much as ₹600 crore was pending across the State.
As per rules, the Centre bears the wage component of the scheme and it is bound to disburse it within 15 days on engaging a worker. On failing to honour the commitment, a worker could stake claim for a compensation.