Jaipur, Jun 21 (IANS): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday urged the Union government to double the guaranteed employment under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to 200 man-days per family per annum.
Also, the entire cost of material component (including state government share) for works carried under the MGNREGS should be provided by the Centre to maximise benefits of Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan of the Centre at the ground level, he added.
Gehlot demanded this through a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to coincide with the nationwide launch of Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, a new employment scheme, by the latter on Saturday.
As per the scheme, migrant labourers who returned to their home states due to Covid-19 crisis and subsequent nationwide lockdown would be provided means of livelihood at nearby places. Works related to the construction of permanent and productive public properties, including MGNREGS, would be undertaken.
The Chief Minister wrote that providing additional 100 man-days under MGNREGS would benefit 70 lakh, rural families, in Rajasthan, including families of migrant labourers who have returned here in large numbers.
The Rajasthan government had already started providing MGNREGS job cards and guaranteed employment to such returnees, he added.
Gehlot said over 50 lakh labourers are working at MGNREGS sites in Rajasthan at present and most would complete their 100 man-days in the next few months. "Thus, it is urgently required to raise the limit of guaranteed man-days for the MGNREGS workers," he said.
The Chief Minister also requested Modi to provide 5 kg wheat per person per month and 1 kg 'chana' (gram) per family per month for free for two months to 3,57,258 needy families in Rajasthan.
Modi launched the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan through videoconference, which Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot too joined virtually from the Chief Minister residence.
Rajasthan is among six states where this scheme has been launched. Of all 116 districts where works would be carried out under this scheme, 22 are in Rajasthan.
Any district that received over 25,000 migrants from other states will undertake 25 different works to be completed in 125 days.
Pali, Udaipur, Sirohi, Dungarpur, Banswara, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jodhpur, Barmer, Bikaner, Nagaur, Sikar, Alwar, Karauli, Bharatpur, Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Churu and Jaipur districts have been selected under the Abhiyan.