Apart from the hefty MGNREGA wage dues, the unpaid money still remaining to be disbursed in favour of the vendors over the years, has reached a whopping Rs 1,300cr in East Burdwan.

The ruling Trinamul Congress, ahead of the Lok Sabha election, had extended financial aid to 21 lakh ‘deprived’ MGNREGA wage labourers in Bengal. In East Burdwan, according to a report forwarded by the MGNREGA’s additional district programme coordinator for the district on 26 February, the cumulative wage worth Rs 62.72 crore, meant for 1,79,174 labourers is still due. The report stated that payment worth Rs 23.39cr could be made for barely 32.9 per cent (87,851 heads) labourers.

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Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, has moved to Delhi to attend a NiTi Ayog meeting where she’s likely to raise the issue of MGNREGA dues.

The MGNREGA Vendor’s Association in East Burdwan meanwhile staged a demonstration in the district administrative corridor today seeking remedy. The association claimed that their dues worth Rs 1300cr against supply of materials have remained unsettled since 2020. Mohammed Yasin, executive committee member of the association, said, “The district authorities have also pleaded helpless on the plea that Centre hasn’t disbursed fresh funds.” He added, “Most of the suppliers have been reduced to marginal labourers. We’ve almost collapsed.” The district officials said: Their grievances have been forwarded to the state’s higher administration.”