E-Paper
MGNREGS leveraged to alleviate rural distress during Covid-19 lockdown: Punjab CM
Ponds cleaned, van mitras hired to nurture saplings in planted in villages
In a bid to alleviate rural distress during the Covid-lockdown labour-intensive work was carried out in Punjab villages by leveraging the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Monday
Two persons were appointed in each village as Van Mitras (friends of forests) to nurture the 550 saplings planted by the forest department to commemorate the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak dev.
A village pond cleaning and rejuvenation drive was also launched on May 12 by the rural development and panchayats department covering 15,000 water bodies in 13,000 villages to give work to the poor and ensure cleanliness in rural areas during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The initiatives ensured direct transfer of wages to the poor, many of them women, said Capt Amarinder Singh.
An official spokesperson said the department was targeting the dewatering and desilting (if required) of all the ponds. A unique model would be initiated to provide a permanent solution to the problem of overflowing in these ponds.
Technology-driven steps taken by the state last year ensured rural payment processes were carried out seamlessly online without any obstruction during the lockdown. This included the procedure of identification, estimation, technical and administrative approval of works – all done online in the state, by means of a web based software called SECURE.
During FY 2019-21 an amount of Rs767 core was spent under MGNREGS, and a record total of 2.35 crore mandays generated during the year, of which 1.38 crore were for women and 1.57 lakh for the elderly (over 60 years).
About 7.53 lakh households in this period were provided employment and a total of 1.27 lakh new job cards were made, covering needy families.
The new target for 2020-21 was 2.50 crore mandays.
The spokesperson also said in FY 2019-20, the total of 89,333 works of different categories had been taken up under the scheme. Panchayats had been provided 905 playfields, 8,006 rural roads, 78 anganwadi centers, and work was continuing in 355 anganwadis.
The bulk of the 89,333 works undertaken during the year related to rural connectivity (22,540), while works on individual lands (Category IV) were 19,346, followed by drought proofing (16,785) and land development (10,984). There were 77,06 works on renovation of traditional water bodies, 5,178 micro irrigation works, 2,611 of rural infrastructure, 1,428 in water conservation and water harvesting, 1,303 flood control and protection, 984 rural sanitation, 142 Bharat nirman Rajeev Gandhi sewa kendra, 90 rural drinking water, 81 playgrounds, 79 fisheries and 76 other works.
