Srinagar, Jul 14 (KNS): A group of skilled workers engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Monday sought the release of their pending wages, alleging that their payments have been withheld for the past four years.
The workers, mostly masons from the Mawar area of Qalamabad, said their wages, including those for the 2024-25 financial year, were yet to be released, causing financial hardship to their families.
They claimed they had executed masonry work under various MGNREGA development projects, but despite completion of the work, their remuneration remained unpaid.
According to the workers, payments to unskilled labourers and for construction material used in the projects have already been cleared, while skilled workers are still awaiting their dues.
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They alleged that they had repeatedly approached the concerned officials, who informed them that the payment files had been forwarded to the Treasury and the wages would be credited to their bank accounts shortly.
However, the workers claimed that officials at the Treasury in Handwara told them the files had been returned due to deficiencies in the departmental documentation, delaying the release of payments.
The workers appealed to Deputy Commissioner Kupwara and the Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Kupwara to intervene and ensure the immediate release of their long-pending wages.(KNS).