Plan to hike wages for MGNREGS workers

ONGOLE: The ongoing lockdown has affected earnings of daily wage workers in the district as they are unable to get works and some of them are afraid to come out in fear of contracting coronavirus. To ease the situation for the workers, district authorities are planning to enhance the daily wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from the current wage of Rs 211 to Rs 235, with effect from April 2 onwards. 

According to the official information, out of total 22 lakh rural population of the district, around 5.8 lakh BPL families have job cards under the MGNREGS. Currently, the district authorities are providing daily works for nearly 6.56 lakh workers across the district. For the fiscal 2020-21, district authorities have decided to provide 216 lakh working days for all the workers with Rs 708 crore funds.

The authorities have decided to spend Rs 283 crore on material component and Rs 425 crore will be for payment. Depending on the recommendations from all 1,052 panchayats in 56 mandals of the district, authorities have condensed the working days to 216 lakh days, when compared to 243 lakh working days in the previous year. 

As per the Centre’s directives, authorities are now providing works for about 1 lakh workers across the district. To comply with the lockdown regulations, DWMA has issued instructions to all field level supervisors to strictly implement social distancing at all NREGS work places. “As of now, above one lakh workers are attending NREGS works at various places in the district daily. We have given clear orders to all field supervisors to follow social distancing. Workers will be advised to attend the work with face masks. Soaps and water for hand wash and drinking will be made available at all work places,” DWMA project director Seena Reddy said.