SAMBALPUR: Breaking the notion that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) can only be availed by people with sound health, participation of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the programme has witnessed a steady rise in the district. While only 83 PwDs availed 100-day jobs under the scheme in 2017-18, 525 differently-abled persons had applied for work in 2018-19. This year, the number of PwD applicants for MGNREGS work is likely to rise more.
As per the records of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), nearly 1.02 lakh people had registered under MGNREGS in 2018-19 fiscal for 100 days work. Of which, 525 applicants were the differently-abled persons. However, after initial scrutiny of their extent of disability and the works suitable for them, only 105 persons were selected from Bamra (14), Dhankauda (5), Jamankira (10), Jujomura (7), Kuchinda (32), Maneswar (12), Naktideul (6), Redakhol (7) and Rengali (12) for the programme.
Various awareness campaigns by the DRDA are the reason behind the rise in enrolment under the social security programme. All of them were engaged mostly as farm labourers in horticulture fields. A DRDA official said a coordinator has been appointed at each block and panchayat for the vulnerable groups to exclusively look after the needs and requirements of these sections.
Those with or below 40 per cent disability are selected under the programme. Facilities including drinking water and transportation are provided by the coordinator. The DRDA is also planning to widen the scope of work for the PwDs with convergence of various various Government programmes, he added.Ankeet Panda, a project consultant in Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department, said, “Though the PwDs are included under the scope of MNREGA programme, majority activities are not suitable for them which makes it ineffective for engaging them at large.”
However, Panda suggested that a few schemes meant for PwDs like Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) should be converged with the MGNREGS to enhance their livelihood security.
The DDRS provides financial assistance through NGOs for various projects for providing education, vocational training and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Similarly, NSAP provides pension to BPL persons with severe or multiple disabilities between the age group of 18 to 79 years.