GUWAHATI: Nongpoh MLA, Mayral Born Syiem, has urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to facilitate early release of wages and material component under MGNREGS with a plea to temporarily resort to the old payment system whereby the chairman and secretary only can withdraw wages for the job card holders, to avoid overcrowding in the banks.
In a letter to Sangma, the MLA requested the chief minister to temporarily suspend current system of the payment to the job card holders under the scheme in villages so as they do not have to make long queues in the banks.
Syiem further requested Sangma to hold discussions with the Assam government to allow vehicles from Meghalaya with passes to go to Guwahati to lift essential commodities such as dal, soap, bakery items, potato, etc.
“I have started distributing rice among residents of villages of Nongpoh constituency starting from Nongpoh town. Today, we completed almost 20 villages and this process will continue in the whole constituency, which has around 134 villages. The distribution has been carried out under the Special Rural Works Programme (SRWP) scheme 2020-21, which amounts to Rs 25 lakh,” Syiem told The Shillong Times on Monday.
“At the same time, I request the state government to facilitate lifting of rice from Food Corporation of India so that rice is available in the open markets for the people,” he said.