About 1,200 gram panchayats in the Naxal infested pockets of Chhattisgarh have been identified for the cash payment to the labourers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Officials with the panchayat and rural department informed that in all about 1,930 villages have been identified in the red zone where there are no post office and bank located in and around five km radius. The beneficiaries of the MGNREGS have to travel more than five km to get the payment. Moreover, it was also delaying the payment to the labourers.
Chhattisgarh government had been insisting for cash payment in such villages. During his visit recent, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh agreed to the proposal.
The Union Government had exempted 60 Naxal infested districts across the country for payment through accounts in banks or post office.
In Chhattisgarh, about 1,930 villages across 1,200 gram panchayats in the Naxal-infested pockets have been identified where labourers working under the MGNREGS would get cash payment. This would help the labourers to get timely payment.
The department officials said that full transparency would be made in the disbursement of cash in the villages.
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“Since there is possibility of Naxal looting the cash, the district collectors have been asked to maintain maximum precautions,” the officials added. A cash payment would be made before a committee of five persons.
Last year, about Rs 1,600 crore was spent in the MGNREGS while the officials expected the figure to go up to Rs 2,200 crore this year.