NREGA employees on an indefinite stir in Delhi demanding withdrawal of photo-attendance App
By Online Desk
The NREGA employees proceed their indefinite protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar towards the usage of the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App. The App has reportedly turn into necessary for ‘attendance” for the employees since January 1.
The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a nationwide collective of employees’ unions and organisations engaged on MGNREGA, has demanded the rapid withdrawal of the App for marking obligatory employee attendance.
According to the Morcha, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has currently dealt three main, concerted blows to the NREGA. They are: 1) The ministry has reduce down the funds allocation for NREGA to only Rs 60,000 crore in 2023-24 (lower than Rs 50,000 crore if we deduct wage arrears from 2022-23). 2) The NMMS digital-attendance App was made obligatory from 1 January onwards. 3) The Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) was made obligatory from February 1, 2023.
According to Jean Dreze, who’s a part of the Morcha, wage funds at the moment are conditional on well timed importing of employees’ images twice a day, utilizing the brand new app.
“This app is causing havoc, especially in areas with poor connectivity. If a worker has worked six days in the week but the worksite supervisor managed timely uploading of her photograph on just three days, she will be paid for three days. This is grossly unfair. But it helps the central government to contain wage payments and discourage workers from applying for MGNREGA work. So, the budget cut and the National Mobile Monitoring System App are made for each other,” he instructed the digital information publication Scroll lately.
The NREGA employees proceed their indefinite protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar towards the usage of the National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App. The App has reportedly turn into necessary for ‘attendance” for the employees since January 1.
The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a nationwide collective of employees’ unions and organisations engaged on MGNREGA, has demanded the rapid withdrawal of the App for marking obligatory employee attendance.
According to the Morcha, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has currently dealt three main, concerted blows to the NREGA. They are: 1) The ministry has reduce down the funds allocation for NREGA to only Rs 60,000 crore in 2023-24 (lower than Rs 50,000 crore if we deduct wage arrears from 2022-23). 2) The NMMS digital-attendance App was made obligatory from 1 January onwards. 3) The Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) was made obligatory from February 1, 2023.
According to Jean Dreze, who’s a part of the Morcha, wage funds at the moment are conditional on well timed importing of employees’ images twice a day, utilizing the brand new app.
“This app is causing havoc, especially in areas with poor connectivity. If a worker has worked six days in the week but the worksite supervisor managed timely uploading of her photograph on just three days, she will be paid for three days. This is grossly unfair. But it helps the central government to contain wage payments and discourage workers from applying for MGNREGA work. So, the budget cut and the National Mobile Monitoring System App are made for each other,” he instructed the digital information publication Scroll lately.
