Over 1.21 lakh families in Chhattisgarh got work under MGNREGA amid pandemic

Over 1.21 lakh families in Chhattisgarh got work of more than 100 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) so far in the current financial year, helping the rural economy remain stable amid the Covid-19 pandemic, an official said on Saturday.

Chhattisgarh has ranked sixth in the country in terms of providing mandatory 100-day employment to maximum number of households, a release issued by the state's public relations department stated.

A total of 1,21,740 families in the state were provided work of more than 100 days so far in the financial year 2020-21 under the MGNREGA, the release said.

According to the release, the state's Panchayat and Rural Development Minister T S Singh Deo had given instructions to implement the scheme on a larger scale to keep the rural economy in motion during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

In the first seven to eight months of the ongoing fiscal, MGNREGA workers got more than 100 days of employment resulting in huge financial support, it was stated.

During this time, all precautions were taken to prevent the spread of the viral infection at workplaces, the release said.

At least 8,971 families were provided over 100 days of work in Kabirdham district, which leads in providing employment to MGNREGA workers in the state, the official said.

Chhattisgarh stands second after Odisha in terms of providing benefits to forest rights holder families under the scheme.

At least 19,799 such families were provided employment of over 100 days under the MGNREGA so far this year, it added.