BHAWANIPATNA: Labourers engaged by a self help group (SHG) for loading and unloading of paddy during rabi procurement have staged a dharna over non-payment of dues in Kotagaon village under Kalampur block. Sources said Maa Mangala SHG was entrusted to participate in the paddy procurement at the Kotagaon mandi and had therefore engaged workers for loading of paddy from May 28 till June 11.
But as many as 30 workers are yet to be paid 15 days’ wages to the tune of Rs 2.4 lakh, even after the process was long over. As it has been almost a month, they have now started protesting demanding immediate payment of their dues.
Commenting on the issue, SHG president Remati Gahir said the dues are pending as the group has not yet received its commission for the last kharif and rabi season. As per reports, the SHG and Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) are paid Rs 31.25 per quintal to words commission and Rs 10 per quintal towards labour charges by the district unit of the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC). In the last kharif season, 74 PACS and 30 women SHGs were engaged as against 44 PACS and 17 WSHGs in the rabi season for paddy procurement.
Contacted, chief civil supplies officer Pabitra Kumar Sahoo said requisition has been sent to the OSCSC for payment of commission and labour charges to the PACS and SHGs engaged in paddy procurement of last kharif and rabi season.However, all the PACS and SHGs have already been paid their labour charges from their own funds except the SHG of Kotagaon. As soon as the money would be received from the corporation, dues of the SHG workers concerned would be cleared, he added.