Beleaguered in cities, migrant workers find succour in NREGA back home

Hubballi: Many labourers, who were forced returned to their villages in Dharwad district, are now earning a decent living, thanks to the projects under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Earlier, the zilla panchayat and gram panchayats officials used to force the labourers to work under the job scheme. After the pandemic, the labourers are visiting the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) seeking work. Requesting anonymity, a PDO said: “Earlier, we used to insist the labourers to work and forcefully register their names. Even after assigning them work, only 30-40% of the works would get completed. But now, they voluntarily are seeking work. Most importantly, they are doing a quality work.”
In district administration has aimed to create 28 lakh man-days for 2020-21 under MGNREGA. It was just 16 lakh man-days three years ago, and 18 lakh man-days two years ago, according to Dharwad zilla panchayat officials.
So far, over 16,000 families have enrolled in Dharwad district. If the trend continues, the targeted man-days of work is likely to be executed before December, said ZP CEO B C Satish. “Each family will get 100 days of work, for which the government pays Rs 285 per person per day. As most of the villagers, who hitherto worked in big cities, have returned to their villages, we are expecting a sharp increase in the demand for jobs,” he said.
Under MGNREGA, the administration is giving importance to projects related to water and soil conservation as monsoon is approaching. By then, the government wants to construct maximum number of farm ponds and desilts lakes, said Satish.
Meanwhile, factories have resumed operations despite the shortage of labourers which is attributed to the sudden interest among villagers to work under MGNREGA.