'MGNREGA played a critical role during Covid'

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme has played a critical role in providing wage employment during the pandemic with significant participation of women getting work under the employment guarantee scheme in the current fiscal so far, rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar said. “In this current financial year 2020-21 under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic, Mahatma Gandhi NREGS has played its critical role in providing wage employment to the wage seekers,” Tomar said while addressing the 22nd meeting of the central employment guarantee council. “A total of 344 crore persondays employment has been generated so far, which is the highest ever persondays generated so far. This is 44% higher than that of last year during the same period,” he said. The minister reiterated that the government is determined to arrange for additional funds for the programme in case of need.According to Tomar, out of total person days generated about 52% women persondays have been generated in the current financial year which reflects significant participation of women in the programme. “Further, 1.69 crore new job cards were issued this year as compared to usual about 69 lacs in previous years reflecting the succor it provided to the migrant workers going back to their villages,” he added. This, the minister said, has also resulted in creation of around 72 lakhs durable and useful assets while a total of 4.29 crore assets has been geotagged. According to the minister, the government has accorded priority on creation of individual assets and assets on water conservation and irrigation which would help the agriculture sector. Further, the minister said the government has been taking all steps to achieve 100% payment of wages in the bank account of scheme workers and hence an emphasis on social audit of works aimed at achieving transparency and accountability. Government has allocated Rs 1,11,500 crore for the current financial year, which is an all-time high. Of this, about Rs 93,000 core has already been released to the states/UTs.The government had set up the central employment guarantee council under section 10 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA), 2005.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2Mk5h7L