Migrants deprived of MGNREGS jobs in Odisha

JAGATSINGHPUR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s directive to create jobs for migrant workers in villages through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is yet to be implemented in the district.

Of the around 6,000 workers, who have returned from various parts of the country, several have been discharged from quarantine centres and are yet to get jobs under the scheme. Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra had issued orders for implementation of various projects including road construction, plantation and land levelling in villages and the block development officers were asked to inform people about them.The projects were supposed to be started before June 15.

However, little has been done to ensure the migrant workers get work to sustain themselves during these trying times. The apathy of officials concerned has irked the workers, especially those who were engaged in skilled jobs in other states and were rendered jobless due to the lockdown.

Sarpanch of Sanara gram panchayat in Tirtol block Sasmita Das said the projects under MGNREGS could not be implemented in villages under her panchayat due to bad weather.

On the other hand, sarpanch of Katara panchayat Sitikanth Swain said no projects have yet been implemented in villages under the panchayat owing to apathy of block officials and the junior engineer. “Around 600 job card holders including 70 migrant workers are yet to get jobs under the scheme in the panchayat,” he said.

Panchayat samiti member of Biritol gram panchayat Bijayini Mallick said she has submitted a memorandum to BDO, Tirtol for immediate transfer of the junior engineer, who has been delaying implementation of projects in the villages.

Official sources said around 20,000 workers have been engaged in different projects under MGNREGS across the district.

This comes to only around 100 workers for every panchayat. The BDOs were directed to undertake four community development and 10 individual projects in each village.