Covid 19 pandemic lockdown had affected the livelihood of daily wagers as they had lost their jobs. Union Government is implementing PM Atmanirbhar scheme to revive the livelihood of poor with targeted schemes including cash assistance, free cooking gas, free rations including rice and pulses. Mahatma Gandhi National rural employment guarantee scheme is perhaps the most popular scheme among rural people which gives assured wages through jobs. The resumption of MGNREGA works has indeed brought cheers to rural people in Tamil Nadu. 

In Tamil Nadu, MGNREGA works are being undertaken in 12,524 Gram Panchayats in 385 blocks of 31 districts. There are about 85 lakh active workers in Tamil Nadu  with about 87 lakh job cards issued.  MGNREGA works are being held in 404 Panchayats in Tiruchirapalli district.  There are 4.61 lakh persons from 3.27 lakh households registered for MGNREGA in Trichy district. This year out of the registered persons almost 80000 persons had taken up MGNREGA works in 404 villages of Tiruchirapalli district. This is almost double the number than last year as only 40000  had taken up MGNREGA works in August 2019. Rural persons in large numbers have taken up MGNREGA works as they have lost other jobs due to covid 19 lockdown.

Government has increased the MGNREGA wages to Rs 254 in Tamil Nadu and this gesture  is a  solace for rural persons during lockdown period.  In Trichy, district collector had ordered bank agents to give MGNREGA wages to the workers in their locality itself on Thursdays. Normally MGNREGA wages are directly deposited in the accounts of MGNREGA workers and they withdraw the money from the banks. But since there is no public transport,  collector had ordered to give wages for the month of June,  July and August directly at the villages of MGNREGA workers. People have been advised to maintain safe distance norms and wear face masks when collecting their wages to prevent spread of covid 19.

In Tiruchirapalli,  MGNREGA works are taken up in connection with watershed management and irrigation canal desilting works in MayanurPanchayat in TrichyManikandam Block . Smt. Kruthika work supervisor from Tiruchirapalli district says MGNREGA works are done under safe distance norms in MayanurPanchayat in Trichy. SmtMuthulakshmi from Allithurai village Tiruchirapalli work supervisor says that MGNREGA workers are happy that MGNREGA work is going on in the village.     SmtGomathi, Poonampalayam, Trichy says she is thankful to government for resuming Mgnrega works.  She urges government to raise MGNREGA wages ,

Trichy farmers are urging government to increase the number of MGNREGA days from the present 100 to 150 so that farm labourers will get wages through assured work. Daily wagers and unorganised workers especially in rural areas are badly affected by Covid 19 pandemic lockdown. MGNREGA has been a solace for them with prompt wage payments right at their native villages.

Kruthika work MGNREGA supervisor Mayanur Trichy

MGNREGA works in Mayanur Trichy

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