Mumbai, March 18 Members of the opposition staged a walkout from the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday over the issue of pending payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), alleging that farmers have not received their dues for several years.
The issue was raised during the Question Hour by BJP MLA Narayan Kuche, who said that around 600 wells were dug under the scheme in his constituency, with many farmers taking loans to complete the work. While payments for unskilled labor were made, payments for skilled work were still pending, he said, adding that a similar situation prevails in several parts of the state.
Responding to the query, state minister Shambhuraj Desai said that pending payments for skilled work amounted to about Rs 2,800 crore, of which around Rs 1,035 crore have been disbursed so far.
The Centre had introduced a new system called 'SPARSH' four months ago, under which the state's share is to be deposited after the Centre releases its portion, following which funds are credited jointly into beneficiaries' accounts. The system would stabilize within a month and pending payments would be cleared, he assured.
Congress MLA Nitin Raut demanded immediate disbursement of dues, especially in districts like Gadchiroli, where MGNREGS is a key source of livelihood.
State Congress chief Nana Patole alleged that some farmers have not received payments for up to four years and questioned whether delayed payments would be made with interest.
NCP MLA Prakash Solanke sought details of total pending dues across the state.
Bhaskar Jadhav of the Shiv Sena (UBT) criticised the BJP-led government, saying it was unjust to delay payments to poor farmers for years.
Accusing the government of neglect, the Opposition members later staged a walkout from the House in protest.
