AJKPC holds protest over MGNREGA payment

Claiming that the state government was yet to pay Rs 200 crore to labourers under the MGNREGA scheme, a panchayat body today held a protest demanding immediate release of the "dues".
Led by All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) president Anil Sharma, over 2000 panchayat members and MGNREGA workers from all districts of Jammu sat on a dharna outside the Press Club here.
The protesters accused the state government of corruption and demanded immediate release of the "dues" of labourers.
"The Omar government has made a mockery of the Panchayati Raj System. Everyday, daily wagers whose dues have not been cleared by the Rural Development Department visit panchayat members. But we are helpless and unable to assure them anything," said Sharma.

The state government is violating the provisions of the MGNREGA Act which provides for release of payment in the bank accounts of the workers within 15 days, he said.
Accusing the state government of being "insensitive", AJKPC expressed apprehension that the amount for MGNREGA workers may have been "misappropriated" by the government.
"The present government has failed on all fronts. Our innocent panches and sarpanches are being killed by militants, but neither Chief Minister Omar Abdullah nor his Panchayati Raj Minister ever interacted with panchayat representatives to address the issue of their security and empowerment," he said.