Zaffer Iqbal

Srinagar, Dec 24: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) workers in Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are without wages for two months now, forcing the workers to live a life of penury.

A delegation of workers from Balakote and Mothal told that payments have not been made to them despite making several representations to the officials concerned. “We have completed the works two months ago but are yet to receive the payments”, they said adding “with no other means we are facing many sorts of problems.”

Referring to (MGNREGA) Act, the beneficiaries said that they are supposed to receive the dues within 15 days of the completion of the work, however the authorities are paying no heed. “Ironically many of the workers are yet to receive wages for the year 2017 and 2018”, they lamented.

When contacted Block Development Officer (BDO) Uri Naveed Altaf told that due to some technical glitch, the workers’ payment was put on halt, however he was quick to add that the glitch has been rectified now. “We already have started the process to deposit the wages in the respective accounts of workers”, the official said.

(GNS)