Early Times Report
jammu, Apr 21: Although Government has issued order to resume the various development works under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) but the stakeholders are showing reluctance to take up new works allegedly due to pending liability of last three years, which has not been cleared by the Rural Development Department (RDD) till date.
Sources told Early Times that Government had issued notification to Rural Development Department (RDD) to start MGNREGA works so that rural economy should be brought on the track, which has seen drastic downfall in recent past due to lockdown in view of COVID-19.
"Although government has issued order to resume works in rural areas under this central flagship but due to pending payment or liabilities of contractors, which to the tune of crores for the last three years, they are not showing interest to take up news works, which has been deteriorating the situation," they said.
They further informed that the issue was taken up with the Secretary Rural Development Department in February this year, who directed the RDD Jammu to release all the pending liabilities but till date no action has been taken in this regard.
Highlighting the concern of stakeholders, sources further said that the undue delay in clearing the pending liabilities of contractors by the department, the small units associated with manufacturing of construction materials, which is used in various MGNREGA works, have been facing huge financial loss as they are not getting new orders. "If construction works under MGNREGA will not be carried out, it will automatically affect these small industries, which are totally dependent on these works," they informed further adding that already 70 % of small industries have suffered huge losses in last few months and many units have been declared as NPAs. |
