COVID-19 seems to have made little difference to the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the State, if the generation of mandays is any indication.
Ever since the authorities allowed the execution of works under MGNREGS, from April 17, 14.46 crore mandays have been generated, against 15.03 crore mandays during the corresponding period last year. This year’s performance accounts for around 53% of the overall figure of 27 crore mandays for the entire year.
According to the MGNREGS portal (as maintained by the Union Ministry of Rural Development), the originally projected generation of mandays for the five months was 15.46 crore.
An official of the State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department said that it was only after a few weeks of the commencement of works under the scheme that implementation was in “full swing”. Subsequently, there has been “no let up” in the execution of works or turnout of workers.
Of the 31 districts, as stated in the portal, which apparently does not take into account the new districts in the State, Villupuram, Thiruvarur, Sivaganga, Nagapattinam,
Dharmapuri, Coimbatore and Ariyalur are the districts where the generation of mandays is over 100% of their projected figures. The top three districts in terms of higher generation of mandays are: Villupuram 160% (1.22 crore mandays); Nagapttinam 150% (71.24 lakh mandays) and Thiruvarur 145% (50.87 lakh mandays).
Pointing out that all safety protocols were being observed, the official asserted that thanks to “stringent precautionary measures,” no COVID-19 case was registered at MGNREGS worksites.
As in the past, women constitute the predominant workforce, accounting for about 85% of workers. As many as 29% of the workforce are from the Scheduled Castes (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST). As many as 56,182 differently-abled persons are among the total workforce.
Of the works being taken up, Scheduled Caste habitations are provided with basic amenities such as cement concrete pavements, individual and community soak pits, individual and community dug wells, cattle and goat shelters, cement concrete drainage and burial ground works, at a cost of ₹1,400 crore. This is as per Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s announcement, the official said.