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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 800 unpaid under NREGA since 2009-Sandeep Pai

800 unpaid under NREGA since 2009-Sandeep Pai

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published Published on Mar 21, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 21, 2012
For a district feted by the state as the best performer in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme, Aurangabad has perfected the art of graft. For, the Sillod taluka in the district has thrown up a case where nearly 800 tribal migrants, labouring since 2009, have not been paid a single rupee in wages, which have allegedly been siphoned off by the zilla parishad officials in collusion with the postal department.

Having completed NREGA work worth approximately Rs10 crore, the 800 tribals on Monday began their second hunger strike outside the Aurangabad commissioner’s office. Mostly comprising illiterate tribals, these workers hail from different villages of Parbhani, Hingoli, Washim, in Buldhana and Jalna. DNA is in possession of a list detailing the over 800 unpaid workers as well as the number of man-days they have put in.

On behalf of the workers, the Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union (BKMU), earlier on January 6, 2012, submitted a memorandum demanding urgent disbursal of wages as well as compensation for the delay. Citing labour benefits as per NREGA guidelines, they had sought punishment for those responsible for the alleged scam.

However, the district administration, after promising the payment along with an inquiry within 15 days, did not move a limb. This forced a four-day hunger strike by over 500 tribals, including 350 women, in front of the office of sub-divisional magistrate, Sillod tehsil, on February 22.

While this strike led the divisional commissioner to order a probe by the collector, BKMU joint secretary Rajan Ksirsagar alleged that it was the collector who encouraged the corruption in the first place. “He failed to perform his duties of a programme officer, as ordained by the NREGA, and in that sense encouraged the corruption,” said Ksirsagar.

The labourers, belonging to Andha tribe, a denotified community, were employed by government officials through middlemen and agents. “With the help of postal department, fake accounts and job cards were issued to them and their wages withdrawn from these fake accounts allegedly by the ZP officials,” alleged Ksirsagar.

For instance, as per the NREGA records, Vinod Surkute and his wife, from Digras village in the Aurangabad district, worked for 167 days in 2010 for which government records claim to have paid them around Rs30,000. However, Surkute denied having been paid anything. “I think the authorities have eaten away my money,” he said. There are many like Vinod.

Further, the BKMU has also shot off several complaints to Dr Nitin Raut, minister for EGS & water conservation, times (the copies of which are with DNA), but the minister did not heed their requests. Despite repeated calls and text messages, Aurangabad collector Kunal Kumar did not respond.


DNA, 21 March, 2012, http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_800-unpaid-under-nrega-since-2009_1665154


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