NREGS a godsend for migrant returnees
SANGAREDDY: THE district administration has been making sure that migrant workers who have returned to their native villages in Telangana from big cities such as Hyderabad, Mumbai and others, due to the pandemic, are gainfully employed.
A large number of migrant workers from Narayankhed area, as well as several thousands from nearby areas, migrate every year in search of greener pastures. Many of these people drive autos in Hyderabad, work as construction workers or help out in various shops.
Seeing a surge in the number of people returning to their native villages, Sangareddy District Collector M Hanumanth Rao directed Rural Development officials to issue job cards to them. Job cards are necessary if they are to work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). All those who have applied for job cards were hired for construction of dumpyards, Vaikuntha Dhamams, and removing of silt from tanks.
Sangareddy district stood at the top position in the Sate in issuing the most number of job cards and providing works under the scheme.As many as 84 lakh work days were provided under the scheme from March to June. After seeing the demand for work, the Collector asked officials to issue another 14,000 new job cards.
Manik from Narayankhed area, who had earlier worked as an auto driver in Hyderabad, started working at dumpyard construction sites and Vaikuntha Dhamams after returning to his native village. He said that he was thankful to officials for helping them get through these difficult times.Officials said that though work was provided to most of the returnees between April and May, after the onset of monsoon in June, many farm workers started returning to cultivation works.