New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS): Officials who delay payment of wages under the union government's flagship rural employment guarantee scheme will be penalised, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said Monday.

Announcing changes in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Jairam Ramesh said wages which were till now being paid to people on the basis of their attendance in projects would now be paid on the basis of work done.

"Wage payments would be made exclusively on the basis of measurement of work done and not on the basis of attendance," he said at a press conference here.

Payment of wages on the basis of attendance has proved to be ineffective, he said. "MGNREGS is not a dole programme," he added.

Jairam Ramesh said that according to law, a person who has worked under the MGNREGS has to be paid within 15 days, but the reality was very different.

In order to address this issue, a provision for penalty for each day of delay in payment of wages has been brought in.

"The penalty amount would be cut from the salaries of the person responsible for making the payment," he added.

Provisions have also been made to ensure adequate sanitation facilities for job card holders by providing them Rs.10,000 to build toilets in their homes.

"We are universalising the toilet programme. Anybody who has a job card can build a toilet and it will be funded by the MGNREGS," he said.