Phiringia: Sixty labourers in this locality of Kandhamal district, who were employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) programme in late 2017, are yet to get their wages.
They were engaged in construction of the one kilometre long road from Alampada near Rabingia village under Nuapadar panchayat to Geru Sahi. The cost of the project was Rs 9.80 lakh. It has been little over two years that the project has been completed, but till date these 60 workers have not got their salaries.
The plight of one of the workers has gone from bad to worse, because he has lost a leg due to a wound he sustained during the building of the road. “While working, a nail pierced my foot. I could not get it treated properly because of my financial condition. The nail remained inside and gangrene set in. Ultimately, my foot was amputated” lamented said Tankadhar Kanhar in a choked voice.
Not only Tankadhar, almost all the villagers earn their livelihood by working as daily labourers. Most of them are the sole earners for their families. They are seething in anger because they have not received their dues.
Local organisation ‘Kui Samaj’ has come out to help the unpaid workers. It has said that it won’t rest until the labourers get their dues.
When asked, gram rojgar sevak Sanjay Kumar Dehuri said the matter is being looked into as to why the labourers have not got their dues.
Block development officer (BDO) Rashmi Ranjan Mohanta assured that the labourers would definitely get their wages. However he could not give a time-frame regarding the payment.
The labourers have urged the district and block administration to take immediate steps to release their money.
PNN
