Visakhapatnam: Normally, works will be delayed due to the shortage of material or money in the country. But, there is a different picture in AP. The government works are getting delayed in urban areas in the State due to acute shortage of labourers. According to the officials, shortage of workers is due to MGNREGA. 

With the availability of 100 working days under MGNRGA and yearlong government welfare programmes, majority of the labourers are not coming to urban areas. With this, large number of engineering works have been delayed and costs are escalating. 

Though the government has been insisting the engineering officials to complete the projects within the given deadlines, the works are not gearing up due to the acute shortage of workers. 

The contractors who are executing the works are now offering various sops to the workers including food, shelter and also liquor. Taking advantage, some of the workers are demanding high remuneration. 

The middlemen, who are engaged in bringing workers from rural areas to urban areas, say that the labourers are not willing to come to urban areas as they get 100 days of MGNREGA works at their villages. The TDP government after coming into the power in 2014, has been taking up almost 90 percent works under the NREGA.

At a daylong review meeting held here on Sunday with the Chief Minister, some of the senior officials informed that the labourers are not coming to works in urban areas to take up road laying and building construction works. The contractors are now bringing workers from the neighbouring states.

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