MNREGA Labour Budget in Chhattisgarh to be increased by 20 crore man-days
Raipur: The Union Ministry of Rural Development has approved the State Government's proposal to increase the employment target in the labor budget of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) in Chhattisgarh by two crore man-days. As a result of state government's consistent efforts, the target of labor budget has been increased for second time in current financial year. In the beginning of the financial year 2020-21, the target of generating employment under MNREGA was set at 135 million man-days.
Considering the work being done under MNREGA and the speed of target completion in Chhattisgarh, Government of India had earlier approved a revised target of 15 crore man-days, on State Government's proposal, increasing it by 1.5 crore man-days. Now, in view of the consistently outstanding performance of the state under MNREGA, Union Ministry of Rural Development has approved additional two crore man days, on the request of state government. Revised target for generating employment under the Labor budget of current financial year is 17 crores man-days. In view of the accelerated target completion under MNREGA during COVID crisis, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had urged the Central Government to increase the labor budget.
Panchayat and Rural Development Minister T S Singhdeo had instructed the senior departmental officials to send proposal in the context to Government of India, requesting increase in the labor budget of this year so as to provide employment to the large number of migrant laborers returned to State.
Subsequently, in the recently held meeting of Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Prasanna R and MNREGA commissioner Mohammad Kaiser Abdulhaq with the officials of Union Ministry of Rural Development, state government's proposal to increase the labor budget was approved.
So far in the current financial year 2020-21, employment of total 17 crore 20 lakh man-days has been provided in the state under MNREGA. During this period, over 59 lakh 31 thousand workers from more than 30 lakh families have been provided employment. At the same time, 5 lakh 20 thousand 194 families have been provided employment of more than 100 days.
In order to provide adequate employment opportunities in rural areas during the countrywide lock-down, works under MNREGA were started on a larger scale across the state, in the initial months of the current financial year. In this way, 66 percent of the then target of 13.5 crore man-days under Labor Budget was achieved within the first 3 months of financial year.
