In a year that saw a large number of migrant workers returning to their villages from big cities due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme managed to provide 14.58 crore man days of work in rural areas during 2020-2021 in which workers earned ₹3,926.37 crore, the highest in the last five years.
Starting this April 1, the daily wage will be increased to ₹289. A further of ₹10 will be given to workers per day as implement allowance.
“The Centre had given a target of creating 13 crore man-days of work at the beginning of the year. This target was revised to 14.65 crore, and hence the State will receive an additional financial assistance of ₹800,” Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa told presspersons on Monday. “As many as 7.01 lakh new job cards were issued and 16.68 lakh workers were added under the scheme.”
The Minister said 56.29 lakh persons from 29.93 lakh families found employment this year. As many as 2.23 lakh families got 100 days employment this year, the highest in five years, he added.
In another high this year, Mr. Eshwarappa said: “Women participation was at 49.44% of the total, highest in the last five years. The participation of Scheduled Castes was at 17.18%, an increase from 10.45% last year. The participation of SCs was also the highest in the last five years. Highest numbers of persons in disabilities found employment this year.”
According to him, 11.8 lakh works were taken up across the State of which 3.59 lakh works were completed. In a bid to prevent rural migration and provide employment locally, a three-month-long programme was started from March 15, he added.
Jalshakthi Abhiyan
Meanwhile, Mr. Eshwarappa, who interacted with Deputy Commissioners and the chief executive officers of zilla panchayats on Monday, said preparations had been done to implement the Jalshakthi Abhyian that has been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 22. He said ahead of summer, instructions have been given to ensure that there is no shortage of water in rural areas.
Among projects to be taken up under Jalshakthi Abhiyan, he said a series of works had been planned under MNREGA including comprehensive development of village lake, rejuvenation of canals, desilting of tanks and waterbodies, construction of new tanks, repair of tank bands and agriculture fields, afforestation of open spaces around lakes, soak pit construction, borewell recharge, rain water harvesting, desilting check dams, and others.
He said the detailed guidelines had been issued already, and over the next 100 days, Jalshakthi Abhiyan will be taken up.
