Tamil Nadu is all set to commence work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) on Thursday.
The start of work comes four days ahead of the date stipulated by the Central government. All work under the scheme was suspended on March 25 in the light of the lockdown on account of COVID-19.
Anticipating the Centre’s nod for the launch of the work, the State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Directorate sent a communication on Monday to District Collectors for starting work immediately. In the last two days, muster rolls were prepared, said an official.
Initially, only a few lakh workers are expected to turn up. Against the normal average number of 12 lakh workers a day, two-five lakh persons are expected to report for work every day in the coming days. The overall figure of active workers in the State is around 84 lakh. A total number of 27 crore persondays is proposed to be generated this year. Last year, the figure was around 24.85 crore.
The State government has fixed the wage for the current year, which began on April 1, at ₹256 per day, a hike of ₹27 from the previous year.
Apart from the directorate’s circular, the Union government has come out with standard operating procedures for the implementation of MGNREGS, to meet the challenges arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The thrust would be on creating individual assets that lead to “sustainable increase” in income, while maintaining norms on physical distancing. Another important feature of the Centre’s SOP is that work should be provided to households that are listed as landless and manual casual labour or deprived as per the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011; those belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes; beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) and families headed by women and differently abled.
Several dos and don’ts have been stipulated in the directorate’s circular. Additional Collectors (Development) or Project Directors, District Rural Development Agency, have been told to ensure that lockdown conditions are not violated and the norms of physical distancing are “scrupulously followed”.
Persons with cold, cough, breathing problems and mild fever are not to be engaged. Senior citizens are to be avoided.
While adhering to the norms, works such as removal of silt from supply channels, digging of sunken pits and sunken ponds, trench cutting and pitting for massive tree plantation and roadside plantation can be taken up. Others include land development activities, pitting and planting of fruit-bearing trees and farmponds.
