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UPCC warns of statewide stir over pending MGNREGA dues
“A total of ₹1,600 crore is pending against one crore active job cards under MGNREGA. The last payment under MGNREGA was made on January 2,“ said Ajay Rai
The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) will launch a statewide agitation if the state government fails to release pending payments to MGNREGA workers within ten days.
“If the pending payments of MGNREGA workers are not released within 10 days, we will launch district-level agitations across the state and continue until the payments are made,” said Ajay Rai, state Congress chief, at a press conference on Sunday.
“A total of ₹1,600 crore is pending against one crore active job cards under MGNREGA. The last payment under MGNREGA was made on January 2. The BJP is trying to scrap MGNREGA and, in a bid to do so, is attempting to withhold even genuine payments. But the Congress will not allow this,” said Rai and Tanuj Punia, MP and chairman of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) department of the UPCC.
Sandip Dixit, coordinator for MGNREGA, said payments are pending for skilled labour, unskilled labour and even for materials used in the work, which are to be paid to vendors.
RP Gautam, chairman of the SC department of the All India Congress Committee, said, “The BJP is afraid, and a recent incident in Barabanki shows this. They first gave permission for a Dalit Chintan programme and then denied it, saying permission was withdrawn due to Holi.”
“When they granted permission, they were aware of Holi. In fact, the BJP is afraid if anyone talks about Dalits in the state,” he said.
“BJP itself is divided on the issue of Swami Avimukteshwaranand. Half of the BJP leaders supported him, while the other half opposed him,” Rai added.
