CHITRADURGA: They are visually challenged, but that did not deter these three labourers from taking up daily wage works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). They are working at a desilting tank programme at Muddapura village of Chitradurga taluk. The trio first approached the PDO and requested him that they are ready to work as daily wage labourers in the tank desilting work.
Kalavathi and Ajay, who have studied till PUC second year and S Asha, who has completed SSLC ,were clueless on what to do for running their home and supporting their parents G Shekharappa and mother Ramakka. Based on the directions of Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr K Nandini Devi, the officials conducted an inspection and handed over job cards to these three differently abled people and also 100 man-days of employment.
The visibility factor is considered while providing employment. Ajay and S Kalavathi who are completely blind are involved in filling mud baskets, whereas sister S Asha who is having a blurred vision is distributing drinking water to other MGNREGA workers. They are getting a daily wage of `309 per day.
As many as 2,791 differently abled people have enrolled under the programme till date, out of which 186 people have started working and 2,650 man-days of employment is generated.
Ajay Kumar said, “We don’t want to be a burden for the society. Hence my sisters and I visited the GP office and requested them to provide employment. They gave us job cards and employment, now we are leading a respectable living.”