KOPPAL: Scores of local agricultural labourers and those who returned to the district during the lockdown, appear to have been bailed out of hardship in April-May by enrolling for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in Koppal, official sources said.
Graduates and even students enlisted to tide over the lockdown period on one hand, and earn a daily wage of Rs 285, on the other. For instance, engineering student Lalita Kasturi Nayak, born and brought up in a poor family of Kanakagiri taluk in the district, wanted to earn some money.
Desilting of lakes, canals, construction of percolation pits in forest areas and jungle cutting was taken up, while ensuring social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though there were a few complaints of labourers being deprived of work, Tekayya Valikar, who returned to Dhanapur village in Gangavati taluk, said the scheme had come to the rescue of farm labourers. With the creation of around 8 lakh man-days of work and Rs 21 crore paid in wages in April-May, the district ranks among the top few in terms of performance, Koppal ZP CEO Raghunandan Murthy told TNIE. Wages were paid promptly, he said.