Raipur, 17 February 2021. Since its inception, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has been a means of providing additional employment to the needy villagers in unseasonable weather. This has led to the creation of public utility public assets in rural areas, where the villagers have access to facilities, On the other hand, the amount received as wages through this scheme has made the living of the needy villagers easier. The MNREGA proved to be a boon for migrant workers who returned home due to the closure of livelihood during the lockdown period during the Kovid-19 Corona infection epidemic. According to the instructions of the Chief Minister, Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, along with the MNREGA job card, the workers who returned to Chhattisgarh state were provided work in the village itself. During the lockdown period, Chhattisgarh was the leading state in the country in providing employment to the needy villagers and migrant workers. Lockdown period In the month of April-May, the state of Chhattisgarh had achieved remarkable achievement in terms of providing employment to more than 25 thousand needy villagers daily. In Dhamtari district, 241 workers returned from various provinces of the country due to lockdown, got full work under MNREGA in their village itself. These
In Dhamtari block, 16 migrant laborers worked 412 days in MGNREGA works, 78 thousand 280 rupees, 47 migrant laborers of Kurud block worked 586 days, one lakh 11 thousand 340 rupees Through employment, 50 thousand 920 rupees and 162 workers of urban development block 4536 days of work earned wages of 8 lakh 61 thousand 844 rupees. Migrant workers carried out pond deepening, plantation work, mud muroom road, drain cleaning, dharsa road construction, mini stadium, mixed plantation work, cattle shed construction, paddy platform construction, Nirmala Ghat and Dabri construction etc. under MNREGA.
Mr. Lekharam, a migrant laborer of Gram Panchayat Semra (B) of Dhamtari development block, told that at the time of lockdown, he had gone to the construction work in Farsabuda, Odisha province. During the lockdown, he returned to his village and applied for employment in the Gram Panchayat. He said that he worked 81 days in pond deepening, road construction and digging, in return for which he got wages of Rs 15 thousand 390, which became the support of the family’s livelihood in times of crisis.
Similarly, Rajkumar, resident of village panchayat Bhothapara of Naga Vikas block, 65 days, Krishna of Jaitpuri 60 days, Takeshwar Kumar Sahu of Sankra 56 days, Bhagirathi 56 days of Kumhada, Shailandri Netam of Koliyari 56 days, Devaki Bai of Belarbahra 56 Kamleshwar Kumar of Day and Jabra worked for 55 days and succeeded in living up to his family. Shri Roop Singh Netam, a resident of Jhunjhraksa, Gram Panchayat of Nagari block, told that he was working in organic fertilizer manufacturing company in district Janjgir Champa for the last 01 year. On 22 March 2020, when the corona virus lockdown occurred across India throughout Kovid-19, He then returned to his village. Under MNREGA he was given the job of mate and earned 5 thousand 130 rupees in lieu of wages. Jhunjarakasa Sarpanch Smt. Kaleshwari Markam said that in view of Corona virus Kovid-19, the villagers were given work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the village itself, following social distancing.
