Nagaland Mahila Congress flags wage delays, job losses under MGNREGA in state

Concerns over delayed wages, fewer workdays and growing exclusion of women workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dominated a meeting of the Nagaland Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee (NPMCC) in Dimapur on January 31.

The executive and organisational meeting, held at Congress Bhavan, brought together Mahila Congress members from across the state to review the implementation of the rural employment scheme. Speakers said MGNREGA, which guarantees paid work as a legal right, is being steadily weakened, with women bearing the brunt of the impact.

Participants highlighted persistent delays in wage payments and administrative hurdles that have reduced access to work, particularly for rural and tribal women. District-level representatives shared field reports pointing to rising economic stress in households that depend on MGNREGA as a primary source of income.

The meeting also raised concerns over what it described as inadequate budgetary support and procedural barriers, arguing that these have eroded the scheme’s effectiveness and undermined its role as a safety net for vulnerable communities.

The NPMCC resolved to step up monitoring of MGNREGA implementation in the state, document cases of delayed payments and denial of work, and carry out awareness programmes on workers’ rights under the Act. The committee also said it would engage elected representatives to raise the issue in legislative forums.

The meeting concluded with a call for coordinated action to safeguard the employment guarantee programme, warning that any further dilution could deepen economic insecurity among women workers in Nagaland.