Bhubaneswar, Jan. 10: The centre today expressed its concern over the inordinate delay in payment of wages to labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

In a letter to the chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said he had come to know about the plight of the workers due to the delay in payment of wages.

“This is a grave violation of the basic entitlements of these workers as the scheme stipulates that wage payments be made within 15 days,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh said according to the management information system of his ministry, the wages amounting to Rs 216 crore, which were 41 per cent of the total wage payment, have been delayed by over 15 days by the state government. The payment of nearly Rs 29 crore out of the total wage has been delayed by over 60 days.

He said that his ministry had brought an amendment to Schedule II of the scheme to ensure timely wage payment. Adequate compensation would be paid in case of delays to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the process.

The Union minister also urged the chief minister to give utmost priority and disburse all delayed payment to beneficiaries immediately. “Compensation as applicable also need to be paid,” Ramesh said in his letter.

However, the state government is yet to react on the issue.