Harsh Dev submits petitions in PMO
Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELDHI, Nov 30: Former minister and senior AAP leaders submitted a memorandum in PMO, at New Delhi addressed to the Prime Minister seeking early clearance of liabilities under MGNREGA and Saubhagya Scheme in J&K besides immediate payment of compensation to farmers whose lands and houses were expropriated and acquired for construction of roads under PMGSY.
The memorandum stated that whereas the Govt was making tall claims of initiating welfare measures for eradication of poverty, the poor and marginalized sections of society in J&K were the greatest victims of administrative apathy and a corruption ridden system.
Singh pointed out in the memorandum that farmers in major parts of the UT and particularly in district Udhampur were left high and dry with no compensation having been released for the lands and structures acquired from them during the last 6-8 years. In several cases, he revealed, the compensation had been shown to have been disbursed amongst the land donors without the said amounts having been actually paid to the affected farmers.
There were cases where the compensation for dismantled houses had been withdrawn by public functionaries without the same having been actually disbursed to the rightful claimants. There were numerous cases of misappropriation and diversion of funds earmarked for compensation with none to take cognizance of grave irregularities in the functioning of concerned govt deptts thus necessitating the due intervention of the GoI, asserted Singh.
Harsh Dev further pointed out the non- payment of wages and other dues of labourers, mates and Panchayat level workers who had executed the electrification works since 2018 under Saubhagya Scheme of rural electrification. He regretted that while payments due to suppliers and big contractors had been made, the poor labourers and other work force engaged by the Power Deptt was made to wait for the list around 4 years.
Singh revealed that past liability under MGNREGA amounting to over Rs 600 crores for the period of 2016-2019 amounting to several hundred crores had remained unpaid resulting in massive resentment in various Panchayats of the UT. And despite the persistent representations and reminders, the Govt had failed to act or to give any satisfactory response except giving vague assurances on the subject during the last 4-5 years.
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