Benefit of 4 lakh MNREGA workers withhold since last 4 months

Shimla, Dec 14 – Previous BJP Government deprived about four lakh MNREGA workers in the state after withholding their due benefits without issuing any notification as they are getting such benefits since 2013 from HP Building & other construction workers’ welfare boards.
CITU president of Mandi district Bhupender Singh told UNI that unions lodged a protest meeting against the discrimination on September 8, 2022 seeking immediate release of due benefit. Secretary cum CEO HP BOCW welfare board Dile Ram issued letter on December 12, 2022 to all district Labour officers to send fresh claims of MNREGA workers pending since September 2022.
He said that claim couldn’t be served on a notification issued by Union Government on February 10, 2017. Board alleged that claims were withheld from those MNREGA workers who could complete 90 days of work. Now it was decided that working days other than MNREGA to be included in the minimum 90 days working as employers would also issue wage slips and certificates of minimum 90 days to support their claim.
It was in 2013 that the UPA government decided to bring MNREGA under BOCW welfare as scholarship was being provided to two children of workers from Rs 20K to 1.20 Lakh per Month, Rs five lakh Medical reimbursement to workers and his family members, Pension of Rs 1000 after retirement, maternity benefit upto 1.80 lakh to pregnant workers and leave of six months and Free Washing Machine and others household articles are being distributed free of cost to family members of workers.
Boards have a kitty of Rs 4000 Crore. The withholding of benefit to MNREGA workers is a violation of labor laws as the Union Government also provide assistance for the welfare of workers.
Bhupender Singh said that some political parties are trying to blame the Congress government for stopping the benefit however it was the previous Jai Ram Thakur Government that withhold the claims of MNREGA workers. How many govt which came into power on December 11 could stop benefits from back date, CITU leader said. He said that the MNREGA govt is bound to provide minimum jobs of 120 days to MNREGA workers however it was brought down to 90 days.