Bhubaneswar: Chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging for introduction of default provision in NREGASoft to avoid delays in MGNREGS wage payments to workers.
The default provision will enable drawal, utilization and recoupment of budgetary allocation towards ‘State’s Revolving Fund’, and prevent delay in payment of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Naveen said.
“The Ministry of Rural Development has been requested earlier for addition of a default provision in NREGASoft for drawal, utilization & recoupment of budgetary allocation towards “State’s Revolving Fund” to prevent delay in payment of wages. However, the Ministry is yet to take any action on the aforesaid proposals of the State Government.”
“I would, therefore, request you to kindly consider my Government’s proposal for addition of a default provision in NREGASoft,” Naveen stated.
The CM praised the Centre for proactive measures to ensure proper implementation of the MGNREGS. Odisha has done well in ensuring almost 100% timely payment of wages. “This is a testimony of the tremendous emphasis it has attached to the mandates of the Act,” he said.
In order to ensure timely payment of wages, whenever there is a delay in receipt of funds from the government of India towards the payment.of wage liabilities, the State Government has created a “Revolving Fund” for payment of wages to the Job card holders within the .stipulated time as a contingent measure, Naveen’s letter read.
“My Government has budgetary allocation of Rs1000 crore towards the Revolving Fund for the Financial Year 2022-23. The Revolving Fund is to be recouped after receipt of the fund in this regard from the Central Government,” the Odisha CM stated.
