MGNREGA beneficiaries in a quandary

THANJAVUR: Disappointment writ large on the faces of workers as works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheduled to commence on April 20 were deferred following the State government’s decision not to relax lockdown norms.

While extending lockdown, the Union government had allowed some relaxations, including permission to take up works under MGNREGA, from April 20.

The Thanjavur district administration had lined up several works to commence from April 20 in areas beyond 3 km from containment zones. It planned to employ 50 workers per panchayat to maintain social distancing. Workers were informed in advance of the decision. However, based on the expert committee’s recommendation, the State government decided not to relax lockdown, and works could not start on Monday.

“We were expecting work from Monday as there is very little work in agricultural fields now,” said M Gomathy (35), a farm worker from Azhiyavaikkal Therku Natham village near Orathanadu. She said with five members in her family, life was difficult without work.

K Packirisamy, district secretary, All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU), said if the government could not provide work, it should at least give them a month’s wages in advance to MGNREGA job cardholders. Once lockdown was lifted, workers could be engaged for the days for which advance was paid, he said.

On an average, 40,000 workers were employed under the scheme in the district till March 24, the day the lockdown came into force. The number of workers engaged would be significantly higher from March to May as this is the off-season with the samba harvest over. Kuruvai nursery raising would commence only from the second week of June.