The funds of the panchayats are not being utilized because of the shortage of these workers. Coastal panchayats are the worst affected by this problem. The daily wage for labourers under MGNREGA is a meagre Rs 195. In comparison a normal private labourer is paid a daily wage of Rs 500 or more at building projects and other sites.
Speaking to Herald, an officer working under the DRDA in the Block Development Office said, “The labourers have been keeping away from the jobs mainly because of the low wages and we had to go to the villages to convince job card holders to work.” The officer also said that central funds have not been received by the department for a long time now and this is resulting in holding back many works in various panchayats in Salcete taluka.
Benaulim panch member Royla Fernandes told Herald that the panchayat has received funds for the works, but due to the deficiency of willing job card holders, works have been passed, but are held up at the execution level. Fernandes fears that the funds to panchayats, if not utilized, will be revoked and the chance of getting basic works completed will be lost.
According to panchayat members job card holders can be brought from other villages. It is also known that the job card holders who take up the jobs only work for a maximum of four hours.
Curtorim panchayat member Santan Rodrigues said that the MGNREGA works in his panchayat are being done but at a slow pace. Rodrigues said, “Since the wages to the job card holders are low they work for only four to five hours a day and the work takes twice the time to complete.” Rodrigues also said that they have to convince job card holders a lot because of the low wages.
The overall picture is that there is willingness of panchayat members to get their works done but the wages problem is keeping the workers and the members away from the MGNREGA schemes.
