THANJAVUR/TIRUVARUR: The delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur are witnessing reverse migration with workers from industrialised regions like Coimbatore, Tiruppur looking for opportunities in the farm sector under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The imbroglio between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing Cauvery waters in the 1970s forced a large number of agricultural workers to migrate to industrialised cities like Tiruppur, Coimbatore where they were employed in the hosiery and other units. People also migrated to cities like Chennai in search of work.
Thanks to COVID-19, workers have started coming back to the delta districts. With samba season over, many workers or their kin have started applying for work under MGNREGA. “For those in areas like Muthupettai, Kottur, Tiruthuraipoondi and Tiruvarur there was no farm work and they have turned to MGNREGA”, said A Baskar, Tiruvarur District secretary of Tamil Nadu Farm workers union.
According to data available, 1,35,828 people sought employment under MGNREGA in Tiruvarur district in May 2020, compared to the 93,878 persons in the corresponding period last year, an increase of 41,950 persons or 145%. “Those who do not have job cards are issued new cards in a week’s time after approcahing the village panchayat,”Baskar added.
The distress could be gauged by the number of those who applied in April when the works started only on April 27 after the lock down norms relaxed for the MGNREGA works. During four days in the month of April 2020 as many as 24,771 sought work compared to 58,560 in the whole month of April 2019 in Tiruvarur district.
In Thanjavur also there is a significant increase in the number of workers who sought work under MGNREGA. In the last week of May 2020, around 63,000 workers were engaged whereas during the same week last year around 59,500 workers were engaged. The wages are being paid to most of the workers by the Banking Correspondents who visit the villages and disburse the case to the workers, officials added.