Excelsior Correspondent
VIJAYPUR, Apr 30: Former Minister and senior leader, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP), Manjit Singh today appealed Lt. Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu for his personal intervention to release pending material payments of MGNREGA works pending from 2016-17.
In a statement, JKAP senior leader, Manjit Singh said that “The Government has released labourer payments of the works done under MGNREGA, but the material payment supplied by SICOP to RDD for their works from small scale industries has not been released.”
On the one hand, when Government is not able to provide jobs, the unemployed youth have setup small units and they supplied material to SICOP and it was further delivered to RDD across Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
“The works were completed on ground and payment of labour works was made, while ignoring payment of material component which is unfortunate and discouraging the youth who have run their small scale units,” he said, adding that the youth who provided material to the Department across Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for the release of material payment.
The JKAP senior leader said that “If labourers are paid, why material component is ignored. The material payment should be made off line so that their can feed their families.”
The Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD), was also appealed to release the payments of the work existing on the ground.
“The Government should strengthen MGNREGA scheme in Jammu and Kashmir instead of weakening it. The negligence will lead to collapse of the scheme which supports poor people from rural areas and hilly areas as they work as labourers and some youth provide material through SICOP to support their families,” he said.
He said that the Government’s effort will encourage the people in rural Jammu and Kashmir to take part in the developmental activities. “The non-payment for longtime leads to alienation of the unemployed youth,” he added.
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