The centre is upset with states delaying wage payment to workers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). The rural development ministry in its a performance review meeting has come down heavily on states that do not pay wages to NREGS workers on time. 

The performance review committee of the ministry is meeting in the capital on Wednesday and Thursday to take stock of the progress under the various schemes of the ministry.

Rural development minister CP Joshi has directed states to clear all the dues. The minister has also taken states to task over non-payment of unemployment allowances to NREGS cardholders who do not get employment within the first 15 days of their application for the job.

The effective implementation of the act in naxal-affected area was also discussed in the meeting.

Secretaries and representatives of all the state governments and Union Territory administrations, which are responsible for implementation of rural development programs, are participating in the meeting.

This is the third meeting of the committee for the financial year 2009-10. Earlier two meetings took place on June 11-12 and October 8-9

Committee meetings have been an important monitoring tool for the ministry of rural development to take stock of the progress of the various flagship programs running all over the country.