Wage Payments Under MNREGA Frozen

Y.S. Rana

The writer is a Hamirpur based Himachali settled in Chandigarh

Over 92 million active workers may not be getting their wages on time and the delayed wage payments amount to nearly Rs 3,066 crore, according to a statement by NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a network of Grass root Organizations. Wage payments under MGNREGA scheme have been frozen in 19 states including Himachal Pradesh as of October 31, 2017. Since September last no wage payments were made in the state as there was 100% pendency of Fund Transfer Orders (FTOs) in these 19 states. MGNERGA- the central government’s flagship programme is also losing its sheen in Himachal Pradesh and continues to move on crutches in Himachal. And delayed wage payments have struck another blow in providing 100 days employment.  In Himachal Pradesh wages have not been paid to one million active workers since September 19, 2017; Haryana since August 31 to 2.07 million active workers and to 1.02 million active workers of Punjab since September 11 last. The scheme which is already moving on crutches in the state, delayed wage payments seems to have taken the wind out of the sails of already faltering job guarantee scheme. While the state has recorded 99.13% work completion rate in 2014-15 which has now dropped to 9.4%. In 2014-15, over 3.46 lakh works were started and of these completed over 3.43 lakh whereas till date in this fiscal year, 34,046 works have been taken up and of these only 3,199 works were completed. In 2016-17, the state has recorded 85.09% works completion rate, according to official data.

The official data also admitted that the number of households provided works continue to drop since 2013 in the state and those who were being turned back empty-handed rose to almost twice the number. The decrease in number of individual provided wage employment indicating is not a seasonal decline. With the over all employment last year (6.83 lakhs), work given this year so far is down by 1.50 lakh. With the overall employment situation grim the distress is seen more in rural areas and expected to increase.  Notably, work has been taken up for construction of food grain storage structure which is a paramount need of state’s farmers during this fiscal, according to the official records. Work on 281 playgrounds is going on and so far of these 85 with an expenditure of Rs 211.32 lakh have been completed.

Figures States…

State                           Payments Pending Since           Active Workers  (in millions)

Haryana                          August 31, 2017                                  2.07

Punjab                           September 11, 2017                             1.02

Himachal Pradesh         September 19, 2017                              1

Rs 40,480 crore Released

It is mandatory for states to send audited reports of the previous financial year after September 30 every year for the central government to release the second tranche of funds. The rural development ministry statement said Rs 40,480 crore has been released so far in this financial year, which is around Rs 4,500 crore more than the release during the corresponding period of the last financial year. The ministry has also sought funds from the finance ministry to meet additional requirements. The budget allocation for MGNREGA for the current financial year is Rs 48,000 crore, the highest ever under the scheme. As of October 27, 2017, Rs 40,725 crore–that is, nearly 85% of budget allocation–has been spent. Eleven states have negative balances (including payments due) as per financial statements on November 3, 2017.

100 Days Employment for 3634 Households In Himachal

In Himachal till November 26, 2017 of this fiscal, only 3634 households have been provided 100 days of wage employment against 11,126 (2016-17); 20,390 (2015-16); 21,576 (2014-15) and 55,350 in 2013-14. District Chamba tops the list where 1102 households were provided 100 days wage employment and Bilaspur district at the bottom of the list with only 20 households were given wage employment. While in six blocks of district Hamirpur a total of 100 households were provided wage employment.

Workers Entitled For Compensation

It is also stated that workers must receive payments within 15 days of the closure of the muster rolls and if the wages remain unpaid, the workers are entitled to seek compensation at a rate per day during the duration of the delay. No legal compensation has been calculated for these delays. During the financial year 2016-17, the central government estimated the compensation to be only Rs 519 crore, 43% of Rs 1,208 crore that was actually due reported in August 2017.

Himachal-o-Meter

The state’s ups and downs this week

NPPA Caps Prices Of 51 Essential Medicines

BBN: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has capped the prices of 51 essential formulations, including those used for the treatment of cancer, pain, heart conditions and skin problems. NPPA has slashed the prices of these essential drugs in the range of 6% to 53%. Drugs, whose ceiling prices have been capped, include colon or rectal cancer treatment drug oxaliplatin (injection 100mg), Japanese encephalitis vaccine and measles rubbela vaccine. On the other hand, ceiling prices of drugs, including anaesthetic sevoflurane, Phytomenadione (Vitamin K1) and tuberculosis prevention medicine BCG vaccine have been revised. In separate notifications, the drug price regulator today said that it has notified the ceiling prices of 13 formulations, while revising the same for 15 formulations. Moreover, retail prices of 23 essential formulations have also been notified. NPPA fixes the ceiling price of essential medicines of Schedule I under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) 2013. In respect of medicines that are not under price control, manufacturers are allowed to increase the maximum retail price by 10% annually. The calculation for essential drugs is based on the simple average of all medicines in a particular therapeutic segment with sales of more than one percent.

Cage Culture Project Fails To achieve Aims

Bilaspur: The cage culture project started in Himachal Pradesh on pilot basis with an objective of increasing fish production does not seems to be proving successful in Bhakra dam as compared to Pong dam. Due to low temperature in dam, pangasius variety of fish breeding here under cage culture project is failing to achieve required growth and is dying because of low temperature. Therefore, fishery department under compulsion has to sale this variety of fish in November month. Till now eight to 10 tonne of fish has been sold here. However, experts from Kolkata Research institute will work to make this project a success as per memorandum of understanding signed with Himachal. According to information, provision of a budget of RS. 3.84 crore has been made for cage culture projectat Pong and Bhakra dam. Under the MoU, the project was handed over to Central Research Institute, Kolkata on trial basis. Target of two tonne fish production was set from one cage. However because of not getting desired results, the project has been handed over to Central Research Institute, Kolkata for one more year. The department will take over the project only after its success.

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