The state government has requested the Union government to pay Rs 2,049 crore to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme workers in Karnataka. It has paid just Rs 117 crore, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said.
Congress MLC R Prasanna Kumar raised the issue of delayed payments to MNREGA workers. The scheme requires workers to be paid within 15 days. Replying to him, the minister said that this year, the state had targeted jobs for 8.5 crore person days by March end. However, by January end, it had crossed 8.5 crore. But since the Centre did not pay on time, there has been a slow down.
On an average, we used to touch 1.2 crore person days per month, which has now reduced to one crore person days.”The Union government has to pay Rs 540 crore to labourers and Rs 622 crore for material procurement. “If there is a delay in payment, according to the Act, penalty can be levied,” he said. “Around 25 MPs met the Union minister for Rural Development, who assured to pay  Rs 1,049 crore from the present year and 50 per cent from the previous year,” he said.