Centre pushes for expanding MGNREGS to deal with migrant employment crisis

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 9

The Union Government has made a push toward expanding the ambit of the rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGS during the lockdown called to stop the spread of coronavirus---a suggest opposition leaders such as Sonia Gandhi have made.  

As hordes of migrants return to their home states because of lockdown-generated job losses, the central and state governments are now faced with the challenge of providing them employment, besides immediate relief measures. The Rural Development Ministry, which implements the scheme, is now looking at widening of the scheme.

The centrally-sponsored scheme includes diversification of works, including addition of new categories to the earlier list of work-heads under which employments were provided.

Also, the MGNREGS  works have been dovetailed with development and infrastructure projects carried out by various Ministries and departments to effect convergence and synergy in their efforts under the general principle of integrated approach and focus.

“A sustained focus is on taking up works related to water conservation and irrigation, plantation, horticulture and Individual Beneficiary works for livelihood,” said a Rural Development Ministry’s read-out regarding thrust on the employment scheme.

A total of 60.80 crore person days has been generated so far and work offered to 6.69 crore persons during the current financial year.

“Average number of persons to whom work offered in May 2020 has been 2.51 crore per day, which is 73 per cent higher than the work offered in May last year, which was 1.45 crore persons per day, “ the Ministry said.

A total of 10 lakh works have been completed so far.

A sum of Rs 1,01,500 crore has been provided for the scheme for the financial year 2020-2021. This include the Union government raising the allocation by Rs 40000 crore from the Rs 61,500 crore provided in 2020-21 Budget.

The addendum amount was part of Rs 20 lakh crore relief package announced in the midst of the lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Out of the total allocation for MGNREGS, Rs. 31,493 crore has already been released.