State government issues SOPs for the release of pending wages to 21L MGNREGA workers

According to the SOP issued by the secretary P & RD department P Ulaganathan the orientation meeting of the District Magistrates with the BDOs, Gram Panchayat and other officers will be held on Wednesday

MP, 7 February 2024, Kolkata: The state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department has come up with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) based on which the state government will pay the pending MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) wages in Bengal.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday had announced that her government will pay 21 lakh workers in the state their pending wages by February 21. 

According to the SOP issued by the secretary P & RD department P Ulaganathan the orientation meeting of the District Magistrates with the BDOs, Gram Panchayat and other officers will be held on Wednesday. The preparation of draft wage payment lists should be made by February 8. 

The field verification of draft wage payment lists by deploying verification teams should be done by February 15 while the final wage payment lists by the BDOs should be done by February 18. 

The preparation of bank-wise payment advice by the BDOs must be completed by February 19. Banerjee had further made it clear that the amount of outstanding wages will reach the bank accounts of 21 lakh people on February 21. 

 The progress of each stage of activity shall be monitored through a departmental portal. Each of the workers getting wages shall be issued a letter with a good wish message from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

The publicity and awareness activities shall be properly documented. Chief Secretary B P Gopalika along with other administrative officials had sat in an orientation meeting with the district magistrates on Monday.