Taking the lead in restarting work under MGNREGA after the Centre eased some lockdown rules, the Puducherry government has employed 6,120 villagers, including 5,447 women, under the flagship scheme.
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said the union territory is the first government to restart work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) since April 20 when the Centre gave some relaxation in coronavirus lockdown rules and allowed such works.
Talking to PTI over phone, she said Puducherry is proud to have employed the maximum number of women in such works among the States/UTs.
The former IPS officer said 35 projects worth Rs.3.45 crore in 35 gram panchayats have been taken up in Puducherry and Karaikal districts.
The UT has a total of 60,000 workers with job cards under MGNREGA and 50 per cent of them are actively involved in the projects, the governor said, adding that each worker is paid Rs.256 per day as wages.
The villagers reside within 2 km radius of the work sites.
The workforce is employed in desilting/deepening or cleaning of lakes, ponds, rivers, other water resources and rain water harvesting measures, and the government of India is 100 per cent funding the projects, she said.
Strict instructions have been issued to ensure that all those who work under the projects maintain social distance, wear masks and wash their hands with liquid soaps/sanitisers frequently.
The masks and sanitisers have been made by members of the women self-help groups of the UT, she said.
