The State government is set to vigorously implement the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme to tackle unemployment in rural areas in the wake of restrictions on account of COVID-19.
Announcing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa said the implementation of MGNREGA scheme in the State had got a boost with the release of ₹1,861 crore from the Centre towards its implementation. The Central funds will also be used to clear pending bills to the tune of ₹1,039 crore towards the wages of labourers, he said. Even after clearing them, the RDPR Department will be left with ₹1,077 crore for implementation of the scheme, he noted.
The Centre has also allowed the State to increase wages under the scheme from ₹249 to ₹275 per person a day. The Minister said this would enthuse people to take up work under the scheme. Precautions to ensure social distancing will be taken while implementing works, he added.
Congress criticism
This announcement came hours after Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president-designate D.K. Shivakumar accused Mr. Eshwarappa of being an “absent Minister” and “sleeping in the house” in an hour of crisis when rural areas were reeling under the impact of the lockdown. Mr. Shivakumar had demanded that the B.S. Yediyurappa-led government implement the rural job scheme and enable the poor to earn at least ₹9,000 a month.
Reaching to this, Mr. Eshwarappa said, “We would not have got these Central funds if I was sleeping at home.” He also said task forces have been formed at all the village panchayats to tackle the spread of COVID-19.
Drinking water
The Minister said the government had released ₹1 crore each for 49 drought-hit taluks spread across 18 districts in the State for handling drinking water supply. In addition to this, ₹25 lakh each will be released to other taluks facing scarcity of drinking water, he said.
Similarly, the State is set to get an allocation of ₹2,500 crore from the 15th Finance Commission towards village panchayats for handling drinking water and cleanliness, the Minister said.
