CHENNAI: After a recent Government Order (G.O) prevented senior citizens and those with comorbidities from working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), many people falling under the categories have lost their livelihoods. This has affected disabled persons and weak senior citizens, many of whom depend primarily on the payment from the scheme. The lives and livelihoods of MNREGS workers, especially in the excluded categories were already hit severely by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.
The Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, KS Palaniswamy, on April 19, sent out a letter to all district collectors, instructing them to follow some restrictions in view of second wave of Covid-19. “Aged persons above 55 and persons with ailments should not be engaged for works,” the letter read. He added in the letter that persons with comorbidities like diabetes or heart diseases should also be excluded. Further, all individual works must be carried out with minimum participation of 5-10 workers, the letter said.
Ilangovan, a 56-year-old visually impaired man from Chamal village in Kancheepuram has had almost no income since February. He relied purely on the salary from the MNREGS work and the relief fund issued for disabled persons. While even this was barely enough to feed himself, the G.O. has affected him very badly, he said.
“Even without these restrictions, we get to work for only 50 days. There are almost three dozen people in my village who solely rely on the 100-day work scheme,” he said, asking how he will feed his family.
Subbarayan from Vikravandi in Villupuram, is a 55-year-old man, who had lost both his legs. “Jobs are very hard to come by for me. MNREGS made up most of my income. Where they took 50 people for work, only 15 are selected,” he said. He added that comorbidities are extremely common among both disabled persons and senior citizens, making it even worse.
“Even 50 year old people with disabilities have not been allotted 100-day-work scheme jobs. Officials say we are weak and send us back. What will we do for food?,” he lamented. S Namburajan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Association for Rights of All Types of Differently-abled and Caregivers, said that this decision is discriminatory in nature and will put many poor disabled persons out of livelihood. “The government has not prevented those over 55 years from going to the TASMAC. Then why would they be barred from MNREGS alone?,” he asked. He has also written a letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary asking for instructions to be withdrawn.