The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has come as a stress buster for tribals in far flung habitations in Adilabad district which had remained cut off from the rest of the world thanks to the lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. The works are also providing livelihood to the poor villagers in this time of crisis.
That the rural folk, many of whom are job card holders under the MGNREGS, have welcomed the government’s move to allow works despite the lockdown can be deduced from the fact that over 40,000 out of the active 73,800 job card holding families have reported to work within one week of initiation. “We had no work on hand and to do away the boredom it is definitely welcome,” asserted Korenga Sulochana, Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency member from Pipri in Indervelli mandal, while talking about villagers relaxing their vigil to allow works.
Good response
“Our mandal, in fact, has as many as 5,000 families reporting to work in the morning out of the nearly 8,000 active members. Some of the groups have even completed four days’ work in half the time which will have them making decent earning as the daily wage is ₹ 237 per worker,” Indervelli Mandal Parishad Development Officer B. Ramakanth revealed of the enthusiasm of the villagers.
“It was rather difficult for us initially to persuade the villagers to take up MGNREGS works owing to their extreme cautiousness in allowing outsiders in the village fearing spread of COVID-19. We are not allowing even our field staff to be present in villages for more time than is required,” District Rural Development Officer Rajeshwar Rathod recalled.
Wages paid
“We have cleared all wages due till April 12 and created 96,000 man days in just last seven days notwithstanding the difficulties and it does falls short of the targetted 11 lakh man days in the month of April. The enthusiasm of the villagers, nevertheless, gives us hope that the tempo will pick up in the coming days,” the DRDO added while he interacted with the job card holding labourers at Pipri village in Indervelli mandal on Tuesday.
Adilabad district now stands sixth in the State so far as labour attendance is concerned. The administration hopes to improve the position as days pass by.
