AGARTALA, April 28 (TIWN): With the nonpayment of REGA wages has hit the state all across hard, the Rural Development Department has come with another hurdle for the deprived REGA workers in the name of upcoming general election to TTAADC.

Talking to the newsmen at the civil secretariat on Monday Additional Secretary to RD Department C.K. Jamatia said that the state govt. has recently decided to stop the REGA payment through the Gram Panchayats following the ADC election.

Jamatia said, “The beneficiaries can withdraw their REGA wages directly from the bank, but the Bank Correspondents (BC) were directed by the state govt. not to function from the Gram Panchayats.”

Asked about the reason, Jamatia said, “Because of the upcoming ADC election the Gram Pnachayats would remain busy with their works for the poll, therefore the beneficiaries can withdraw their wages from their respective bank branches.”

Adding to that he said this would continue until the election ends, and later again the BCs would be allowed to go to the respective gram panchayats and pay the wages to the concerned REGA workers.

“The wages had already been allotted in the name of the REGA workers who are yet to get the wages. Therefore they can withdraw their wages from the bank branches,” Jamatia told to newsmen on Monday.

However but it is to be mentioned here that with this the state govt. had once again hit the REGA beneficiaries with a large number of REGA agitators across the state has been blocking the roads, blocks, party offices and gram panchayats in demand of their wages.

It has been since two to three years that the system of paying the REGA wages from the gram panchayats through the BCs has started functioning here at the state.