Bengal reaches new MGNREGA milestone
Despite the pandemic and the resultant job woes, Bengal has been able to complete 84 per cent of its allotted quota of person-days under the MGNREGA Scheme.
While the whole nation was struggling due to lack of employment because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown and especially the second wave of infections, Bengal stood strong in providing employment to its people.
The Bengal government has created 18.67 crore person-days (also known as man-days) through the MGNREGA Scheme, or 100 Days’ Work Scheme, as it is also known as, which is 84 per cent of the total of 22 crore person-days target set by the Union government for Bengal for the financial year (FY) 2021-22. The average daily wage of every person has been Rs 199.42.
Every year, most work in given in the months of January, February and March, while the period from April to July is considered a lean period. But this year, a huge number of people were provided with jobs during that period too, which has led to the stupendous success of the scheme in the state. The Panchayats and Rural Development Department is taking an active role to ensure that more and more people get employment.
Moreover, work done by women (in terms of person-days) out of the total stood at 45.87 per cent and around 26.25 per cent and 8.19 per cent person-days were created by providing jobs to people from scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities, respectively.
In the FY 2020-21, 1.1 crore people were provided with jobs through the scheme, which led to the creation of 36 crore person-days. At the same time, steps taken by the state government helped 3.80 lakh returning migrant workers get new job cards, and around 6.46 lakh migrant labourers were provided with jobs.
The Union government is expected to increase the allotment of person-days for Bengal following the state’s efficiency in providing jobs to the rural populace.
