Minister for Rural Development Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice Abdul Haq today told the Legislative Council that there was no liability under MGNREGA with the department in Reasi and Udhampur as all pending dues have been cleared.Replying to a question by Jugal Kishore Sharma in the upper house, Minister said the Rural Development department cleared Rs 55.42 crore liabilities of MGNREGA works in the twin districts of Udhampur and Reasi during last two financial years.The Minister said the government strives to provide full 100 day job to the unskilled job card holders as envisaged in MGNREGA Act 2005 on demand. He said in Reasi and Udhampur districts 2493 households have been provided mandatory 100 day work under the Act during last two financial years of which 2024 households belonged to Reasi district.
Abdul Haq said the payment due on account of wages and the material used in the generation of person-days is updated on MIS which in common parlance is termed as liability. He said the payments get accrued due to the delay in receipt of funds by the department and its further release to the implementing agency and that the creation of liabilities and its payment thereof is a continuous process and part of the scheme.The Minister however said the actions of an officials involved in the implementation of MGNREGA are governed by the provisions of the Act and there is a general penal provision for non-compliance to the provisions and may be liable to fine which may be to the extent of Rs 1000.Legislators Sham Lal Bhagat and Ghulam Nabi Monga raised supplementary queries to the main question.