As demand for jobs surges, State’s MGNREGS quota raised
[ad_1]
With a notable surge in demand for jobs within the post-pandemic state of affairs, Kerala’s allocation of jobs beneath the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the monetary yr 2021-22 has been enhanced to 10 crore individual days from the 8 crore individual days final yr. An empowered committee of the Ministry of Rural Development took the choice early this week. This is the primary time that 10 crore individual days of labor has been authorised for the State.
According to MGNREGS State mission officers, there was a pointy rise within the job playing cards issued in addition to the individual days of labor awarded this yr within the State, owing to the post-COVID-19 financial state of affairs.
2.2 lakh new job playing cards
“We issued around 2.2 lakh new job cards this year, which is quite unusual. It shows that there is a huge demand for jobs in the rural regions. This could be fuelled by job losses in several sectors as well as the return of Non-Resident Keralites without much savings from their previous jobs. For the first time, we will probably be crossing 10 crore person days of jobs provided in the State in a year, by March. The previous highest was after the floods of 2018-19, when we hit 9.75 crore person days,” stated an official of the MGNREGS State Mission.
Hike in ex gratia
Meanwhile, the State authorities has elevated ex gratia fee for deaths or everlasting incapacity of staff triggered throughout MGNREGS works, from ₹25,000 to ₹75,000. The fee must be paid inside 5 days of the accident. The authorities has additionally eased the process for claiming medical help in case of accidents.
“Till now, there has been a lack of clarity as to at which level the clearance of financial aid for treatment and who should carry out the checks. Due to this, applications for medical treatment aid has been piling up in some places. Now, with these changes, almost everything can be cleared at the panchayat level, with a certificate from a government medical officer. This will be of much help to the MGNREGS workers,” stated the official.
