SHILLONG: The job cards holders under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the state will be compensated by the Government if there was a delay of more than 15 days in payment of their wages.
Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma after approving the proposal in the State cabinet meeting here on Friday said that after the preparation of muster rolls, the wages must be paid to the job card holders within 15 days. The state has more than 4 lakh job card holders under the MGNREGA.
However, if there is a delay in payment of wages for more than 15 days, the job card holders will be entitled to receive a compensation at the rate of 0.5 percent of the total outstanding wage. “We stand committed to implement the contents of the Act in letter and spirit,” Sangma said.
The State Government also has a corpus fund to ensure that the funds are used for payment of wages when there is delay on the part of the Centre to release the funds and the same corpus funds will also be utilised for paying compensation to the job card holders in case of delay to pay the wages.
Sangma said that the state government had Rs 35 crores under its corpus funds.
“However, there is a provision that the compensation would not be paid to the job card holders if no funds are received from the Union Government for the payment of wages. However, if there is money and still the payment is delayed, then the job card holders would be entitled for compensation,” the CM said.
—