Source: Hueiyen News Service / Basanta Thochom
Imphal, November 25 2010:
Nine month had passed since the constitution of the Imphal West MGNREGS Ombudsman but the same is remaining like a defunct office with no infrastructures and other needed for running the office so far supplied by the authority.
The Imphal West MGNREGS Ombudsman was constituted by an order of the state government issued on March 15 of this year by allotting a room at Imphal west DRDA office.
In this single room both the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman are seating together.
Two sets of table and chair, two steel almirahs and some fabric chair were supplied and the office is running without computer sets and other facilities including telephone connection.
A single bulb is illuminating the room while a ceiling fans supplying cool air to the officers.
A peon and two attendants were deputed from the Imphal west DRDA office to assist the Ombudsman but without typing machine, typing and other documentations are doing outside the office with the expenditure from the officers' pocket.
Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman are spending money above the honorarium given to them by the government on monthly basis.
Despite the difficulties face by them, still they are discharging their duties and addressing grievances of the workers of the MGNREGS.
A total of 71 cases related with the complaints lodged by the MGNREGS workers and other had been taken up by the Ombudsman till date and out of these total cases 60 had been disposed off, according to the officials of the office.
Some of the cases disposed off related with non-payment of the wages of the workers even after completion of the work and Ombudsman had able to clear wages amounting to Rs 2.90 lakh for the workers.
They had also disposed off a case related with project work taken up in the estate of an individual.
MGNREGS authority in the district has been fined in this case and compensation has been provided to the estate owner.
Among the pending cases, it includes about the irregular payment of wages and other for the MRNREGS workers of the district.