Nalgonda: Postcards for Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Program (MGNREGP) have been multiplied several times in the Nalgonda district over the past two years as the trained persons lost private jobs after a lockout Covid-19 pandemic, seeking livelihood in their homeland.
In the 2019-20 financial year, less than 230 applications were received by the authorities of the District Development Agency (DRDA) for new worksheets from MGNREGP including 100 working days with a daily wage of 241 Rs per candidate. However, 2,523 new worksheets were issued during 2020-21 and 1,392 new worksheets for 2021-22 after numerous applications were received. After Covid-19 concluded, approximately 11,000 people joined the list of beneficiaries of MGNREGP under the new worksheets. This is an indication that those who have lost jobs due to lockdown earn their money by enrolling their other family members for work, under MGNREGP.
In an interview with Telangana Today, A Ashok Raju, who has been working as a lecturer at a private junior college for 12 years, revealed that he lost his job due to the lockdown and tried another one in private enterprises, as colleges are closed. But he managed not to get a small job in any private firm even after his two-month job, says Raju, who was then forced to apply to the local Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) for a worksheet under MGNREGP at his native country. Munugode in the district farm.
P Ramesh, who worked as a teacher at a private school for ten years and then remained unemployed Covid-induced graduation, said it was not the time to think about his training qualification or previous job. Feeding his family was his first responsibility by earning money by doing any work.
Rural Development District Officer Y Rajashekhar Reddy said the applications for the postcards have increased over the past two years. The youth, who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, may be a reason for the sudden increase in applications. He pointed out that several trained youths also returned from the villages to their homeland after losing their jobs due to the institution across the state. ‘We are eager to issue work cards to all the applicants and give them 100 working days. Each worksheet will consist of one or more family members based on the application they received, he added.
Source: Telangana Today