SC agrees to hear plea seeking payment of wages to MNREGA workers

Apr 20, 2022

New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): The Supreme Court on April 20 agreed to list for hearing a plea seeking directions to redress the situation of workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MNREGA) in the country claiming that their pending wages are piling up along with negative balances in funds of most of the states. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana agreed to list the matter after advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for petitioner NGO Swaraj Abhiyan mentioned the matter for urgent listing. Bhushan asked the bench to list the matter for hearing as MGNREGA workers are not getting paid. The plea said crores of workers were in a crisis as funds-starved states had run up wage dues of Rs 9,682 crore under the Centre's flagship 100-day job scheme MGNREGA which has witnessed an increase in beneficiaries because of the pandemic.