Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi requesting him to release the first 3 months wages of Rs. 1016 crore, for financial year 2020-21, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme from the Centre, at the earliest.
Chief Minister Mr. Baghel has stated in the letter that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is an important component of rural economy. 89.20 lakh labourersof 39 lakh 56 thousand families are registered under this scheme in Chhattisgarh. 66 lakh 5 thousand workers of 32 lakh 82 thousand families actively get employment through the scheme. At the beginning of March 2020, about 12 lakh workers in the state were working under the scheme every day. Due to the precautionary measures undertaken for last 10 days to prevent corona virus infection, the number of workers has significantly decreased.
Chief Minister said that the State Government, while ensuring all necessary measures to prevent corona virus, has instructed the District Program Coordinators to approve livelihood promotion and people oriented works that does not require gathering of a large number of workers at one place. This step has been taken to provide employment to the labourers so as to secure their means of livelihood.
Chief Minister said that the main reason why workers are not showing up at work is the delayed payment of wages under the scheme. He apprised the Prime Minister that at present, payment of wages worth Rs 484 crore is pending in Chhattisgarh under this scheme. In these adverse circumstances, payment of pending wages is urgently required.
Also, in order to ensure time-bound wage payment in the coming months, the approved labor budget of 1016 crore rupees for 534.73 lakh human-days wages, at the prescribed wage rate of 190 rupees/day, for the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21, has been requested to be released for the state at the earliest.
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