GUWAHATI, May 3 - The State Panchayat and Rural Development has started works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for providing assistance to economically and socially vulnerable sections of people across rural areas of Assam to compensate their daily wages during nationwide COVID 19-induced lockdown.
Following resumption of works under the MGNREGA, 44,251 members of 34,307 families have been provided work till now.
Under MGNREGA, every interested family is issued a job card where all eligible members� names may be incorporated for wage-based employment.
�At present, the wage under the scheme is enhanced to Rs 213. In implementation of the scheme during this lockdown period, government norms like social distancing, wearing masks and frequently washing hands with soap are strictly adhered to,� an official release said.
P&RD Minister Naba Kumar Doley has urged the people who have come back from other states and now have to stay without engagement, to apply for job card immediately in their respective Gaon Panchayats so that they might also be provided wage employment to cope with present crisis.
�The department has already issued guidelines for it. He has also advocated for the same for other families who are willing to get wage employment but yet to apply job card. The PMAYG beneficiaries may ensure 95 days� employment by constructing their own houses. Minister Doley is relentlessly monitoring the whole initiatives taken by the P&RD department to help the poor people of rural areas of the State,� it added.
The wage-based employment under MGNREGA started with special thrust upon water conservation, irrigation, repairing of roads and individual beneficiary schemes to help the poor in earning sustainable livelihood.
�Arrangement has also been made to keep a good number of sanctioned schemes, so that every wage employment seeker may be engaged in work during this crisis. Principal Secretary of P&RD, Assam, Dr JB Ekka, and Commissioner Hemen Das urged the field officials of the department to serve the needy people through fruitful implementation of the schemes with dedication and commitment, so that the vulnerable section may be benefitted in letter and spirit,� it said.
