Huge delays bog payment of wages under India's premier rural guarantee scheme floated by UPA, NREGS

By A Representative
A report by a top data analysis site has revealed that, as per the latest government data, close to 66% of the all the wage payments made under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), a flagship programme of the former UPA government, were delayed in the year 2015-16.
Prepared by Rakesh Dubbudu, the report further reveals that close to 10 per cent of the wage payments were delayed for more than three months, and only 1.2 per cent of compensation has been paid against the delay.
Based on the annual performance report of the NREGS scheme for fiscal 2015-16, which was released recently by the NDA government, the report says, "Rs 35,062.93 crore was the total wage payments for the year 2015-16. Out of this amount, payment of 65.6 per cent or Rs 23,017.6 crore was delayed beyond the stipulated 15 days."
Pointing out that in as many as 14 States/union territories (UTs), more than 75 per cent of the wage payments in 2015-16 were delayed beyond the stipulated 15 days", the report shows that Meghalaya delayed topped the list with a delay in 99.2 per cent of payments, followed by Chhattisgarh (92 per cent) and 85.6 per cent in Punjab.
The report says, "More than 80 per cent of the wage payments were delayed in 10 different States/UTs", adding, "The percentage of wage payments delayed was more than the national average in 20 different states/UTs."
According to the report, "Manipur performed the best among states with only 16.9% wage payments delayed beyond the 15 day limit", adding, "Less than 50 per cent of the wage payments were delayed in only seven States/UTs."
In absolute numbers, the report says, "Out of the 38.6 crore wage payment transactions made in 2015-16, 24.1 crore transactions were delayed beyond the stipulated 15 days (around 62 per cent)."
It adds, "More than 90 per cent of the transactions were delayed in three States/UTs and more than 80 per cent were delayed in 12 states/UTs."
The report says, "More than 60 per cent of the transactions were delayed in 23 different States/UTs", with less than 20 of the transactions getting delayed in only two states -- Manipur and Andhra Pradesh.
In value terms, the report says, an amount of Rs 3,397.8 crore was "delayed" for payment of wages in 2015-16 "for more than three months -- which is 10 per cent of all the wage payments."
The report's analysis shows that the North-Eastern States suggested an interesting trend, with more than 70 per cent of the wage payments having been delayed for more than three months in Arunachal Pradesh, the highest for any State.
"Next in the list were Meghalaya, Nagaland and Assam", the report says, adding, however, "At the same time, Manipur and Mizoram reported less than 1 per cent of the wage payments delayed for more than three months."
The report says, "As per the new guidelines, the NREGS workers are entitled to receive delay compensation at the rate of 0.05 per cent of the unpaid wages per day for the entire duration of delay beyond the 16th day."
The report calculates, "A total of Rs 444.38 crore is the payable amount of compensation for a total of 821 crore delay days. Out of this amount, only Rs 9.6 Crore is approved (about 2.2 per cent) and only Rs 5.1 crore (about 1.2 per cent) is paid so far."
"Not a single rupee of delay compensation is approved in 19 States/UTs though Rs 127 crore of delay compensation is pending from those States."

Comments

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Budgam by-poll to decide if National Conference still holds the ground in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi “Zoun ho Zoun ho, PDP’an Zoun ho” — the chant echoes through the streets of Budgam as election fever grips the district. Despite the dipping temperatures, people continue to gather at late-night rallies with enthusiasm. The slogan gained popularity during the 2024 assembly elections when People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti, while campaigning, inadvertently mispronounced it as “Zoon ho Zoon ho,” a moment that went viral and has since become a fixture in local political rallies.

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

From the black liberation struggle to exile: The story of Assata Shakur

By Harsh Thakor* Assata Shakur , former member of the Black Liberation Army and a prominent figure in the Black liberation movement , died on September 25 in Havana, Cuba , at the age of 78.

Where are the graphs for the emergency? The missing data behind the climate crisis narrative

By Bhaskaran Raman Ever so often, we are reminded by the media that we are living in a “climate emergency.” This especially happens after every natural disaster, such as after the recent floods in North India. While nature’s fury and its victims are not trifling matters, is there anything new about this that warrants a declaration of “crisis” or “emergency”?

What happens when cricket is turned into 'dharmayudh' between India and others

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* India ‘lost’ the World Cup. Winning or losing is part of the game, but what happens when the game becomes part of the political propaganda and the audiences are not sports lovers but fans who hate others? An Uttar Pradesh daily gave a headline for the final game as ‘dharmyudh’. The game of cricket is being used for political purpose. As cricket is a powerful business in the country, every non-playing dignitary in the game earns much bigger sum than the player.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Ex-civil servants warn of ecological disaster, demand fiscal support for Himalayan states

By A Representative The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of 103 former civil servants, has written to Dr. Arvind Panagariya , Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, urging that the Commission give special consideration to the ecological fragility and economic vulnerability of India’s Himalayan states . The group has called for the creation of a substantial “ Green Fund ” or “Green Bonus” to compensate these states for their contribution to the country’s environmental stability and national well-being.

Search This Blog