AMN
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre, in consultation with states, to prepare an urgent time bound mandatory programme to make the payment of wages and compensation to the workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
A bench of Justice M.B. Lokur and Justice N.V. Ramana yesterday made it clear and directed that in terms of the MGNREGA and Schedule II thereof a worker is entitled to payment of wages within a fortnight of the date on which the work was done.
In case of failing it, the worker is entitled to the compensation. The bench said, the burden of compliance is on the state governments and Union Territory administrations as well as the Centre. It said, one entity cannot pass on the burden to another and vice versa.
The court’s verdict came on a PIL filed by an NGO. The apex court also said that delayed payment adds several crores to the compensation bill and merely adds an avoidable financial burden on the Centre.
The bench appreciated the Ministry of Rural Development for bringing some significant changes to make the MGNREGA and the scheme more effective.