VIJAYAWADA: Though there was no restriction on carrying out the works under Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) during the coronavirus lockdown period, not many are ready for the works out of fear of infecting the disease.
Though officials ensured that social distancing is maintained while executing the works, there was a drastic fall in the number of people opting for work under the scheme.
When the complete lockdown was enforced across the nation following a call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to check the spread of Covid - 19, works under MGNREGS were exempted. However, there was a poor response from the job seekers.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official of the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development department informed that as against the average of 15 to 17 lakh people engaged in the works under MGNREGS during normal times, by the beginning of April, the number of workers engaged in such works stood at around two lakh.
Stating that summer was the peak season for the MGNREGS works, he said there was no such demand for works this year because of Covid-19 threat.
The workers are being provided water and soap to wash their hands frequently. The official maintained that every initiative was being taken to ensure social distancing among the workers. Earlier, a field supervisor used to engage hundreds of workers from a village for one or two works as it was easy for him to monitor the workers and the progress of works. But due to the outbreak of coronavirus, they are dividing the workers into several groups and deploying them in several work points to ensure social distancing.
He said that in several villages, locals adopted resolutions against allowing the workers to go for duty. “However, we are not in a hurry to reach the target as the new fiscal has just begun,” he said.
Steep fall
15 to 17 lakh MGNREGS workers in the State
2 lakh: Number of workers by April
Safety measures
Water and soap for workers to wash their hands frequently
Social distancing among the workers