Bhubaneswar, August 22: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider Odisha’s proposal for addition of default provision in NREGASoft for drawal, utilisation & recoupment of budgetary allocation towards ‘State’s Revolving Fund’ to prevent delay in payments of wages.
In a letter to the PM, Patnaik wrote, “State Government has created a ‘Revolving Fund’ for payment of wages to the MGNREGS job card holders within stipulated time, as a contingent measure. It was created to ensure timely payment of wages whenever there is delay in receipt of funds from Government of India.”
For this, the State Government has also made a budgetary allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the Financial Year 2022-23. The Revolving Fund is to be recouped after receipt of the fund in this regard from the Government of India.
“The State of Odisha has done well in ensuring almost 100 per cent timely payment of wages. This is a testimony of the tremendous emphasis it has attached to the mandates of the Act,” said the Chief Minister.
“The Ministry of Rural Development has been requested earlier for addition of a default provision in NREGASoft for drawal, utilization & recoupment of budgetary allocation towards State’s Revolving Fund to prevent delay in payment of wages. However, the Ministry is yet to take any action on the aforesaid proposals of the State Government,” he added.
