Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 20 January 2021
Mr. Rangalal Halder, President, Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee on Thursday met several MGNREGA employees of North & Middle Andaman. MGNREGA employees informed Mr. Rangalal Halder about non-payment of salaries to Gram Rozgar Sevaks, Programme Officers, Technical Assistants, Data Entry Operators and Engineers from around four months.
Mr. Halder has urged the A&N Administration to immediately release the pending salaries of MGNREGA employees.
“The A&N Administration has been withholding the salaries of these employees for the last four months. Congress will sit on protest if the salaries of these employees are not released immediately” Mr. Halder said.
Mr. Halder further said that during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, the payment of salaries of MGNREGA employees should be prioritised over other discretionary expenses as they are left with no choice but to work despite the risky scenario on the ground.
He also requested the Administration to consider regularising the jobs of the contractual employees under MGNREGA in these Islands and to increase the number of guaranteed days of work from 100 to 200 with the consent of the Ministry of Rural Development.