Uttar Pradesh to soon have women on MGNREGS job sites

Uttar Pradesh, which is the worst performer in women employment under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) in the country, will now appoint women mates on all MGNREGS job sites with more than 20 workers

Uttar Pradesh, which is the worst performer in women employment under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) in the country, will now appoint women mates on all MGNREGS job sites with more than 20 workers. The move comes in a bid to directly employ women as site managers and indirectly attract women to opt for MGNREGS employment. The state rural development department has already taken a first major step towards it.

Women mates will now manage all MNREGS worksites that has more than 20 workers. (Pankaj Jaiswal/HT)

“The appointment will begin soon after the panchayat election results are out and new panchayats are formed,” said Yogesh Kumar, additional commissioner, MGNREGS, UP.

In two successive orders, the department is making a provision for appointing women mates (job sites managers) across the state while also fixing the criteria on allocating one woman mate to every 20-40 workers. While one order to this effect was passed on international women’s day on March 8, the second one was issued on March 19.

Not only this, to make speed up the appointment process, the government will select women mates from the existing women self-help groups (SHGs) in every panchayats. The first phase of panchayat polls are due on April 15 and the results will be declared on May 2.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the state managed to employ a whopping 1.11 crore people - a workforce dominated by men. Now, the state has decided to introduce women mates for job-sites, all-women worksites, and women-specific jobs.

As per data, Uttar Pradesh generated only 32.52% of women person-days of the 30.55 crore person-days of work generated in 2020-21. The state registered a whopping 87% increase in person-days generated against the previous year. Women’s share, however, remained unchanged in the last five years.

In 28th position, UP ranked lowest in the country with only Jammu and Kashmir, and Lakshadweep falling below in women’s employment under the MNREGS. Kerala, Pudducherry, and Tamil Nadu were among the top rankers on women’s count with 91.41%, 87.04%, and 84.88% women person-days respectively.

“We have zeroed in on some significant factors and have also prepared remedial strategies to attain 50-55% women participation in 2021-22 and we are starting with women mates,” said Kumar.

According to the orders, the women mates will be selected by the respective gram panchayats, would be registered as semi-skilled workers, trained at the block development level and their emoluments will be between ₹315 to ₹405 per day, according to the existing wages range of various PWD (public works department) circles in the state.

The direct mandate for the women mates will be to manage job sites - taking measurements of the job done by workers, muster-roll maintenance, attendance, arrangement for water, shade, creche, etc.

“Socio-cultural set-up and physical intensive works are inhibiting factors behind the low female participation. Women do not like to work in men dominated worksites and on physically gruelling jobs. So, we have decided to introduce steps such as women mates and will introduce all-women worksites and women-specific works, such as plantation, gardening, nutrition gardens, nurseries or organic cultivations,” Yogesh said.

He said the department would be able to employ at least 35,000 women as women mates across the state.