Model to pay MGNREGS wages mooted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 06 2011:
To solve the problem of numerous complaints being received over payment of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which is regarded as the flagship programme of the UPA Government at the Centre, the State Government has taken up steps to release the wages through business correspondents (BCs) of the banks.
According to an official source, the State Government has decided to release the wages under MGNREGS through BCs of the banks following instruction from the Centre which has taken serious note of the charges of swindling the fund meant for payment of wages to job card holders by the pradhans and village chiefs after keeping all the job cards in their possession.
The decision to release the wages through BCs was arrived at during a joint meeting presided over by Commissioner (Finance) Rakesh Ranjan today.
Principal Secretary of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Commissioner of Social Welfare and officials of SBI and UBI were present among others during the meeting, the source disclosed, adding that the new system of releasing the wages would be implemented very soon.
Under the new system, banks would appoint their BCs within their respective jurisdiction.
The wages would be deposited in the respective bank accounts of the job card holders and the responsible BCs would work out a schedule to visit the houses of the job card holders to hand over the amount personally, the source explained.
To ensure early implementation of the new system of payment of MGNREGS wages, the State Government is expected to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the banks concerned and the banks have already worked out a model under which they would function to implement the new system, the source added.