Chhattisgarh has topped the list of states in providing employment to over 18 lakh unskilled labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
Around 77.85 lakh people are engaged in different work under the scheme across the country, according to data released by the Union Rural Development Ministry.
"The national participation of the workers working in the state is 24 per cent, which is the highest in the country, the statement issued by the state government said.
Chhattisgarh has topped the country in providing employment to 18.51 lakh workers under MGNREGS, it said.
At the national level, the performance of many big states in terms of employment of workers is not even half that of Chhattisgarh, the statement added.
Rajasthan has provided employment to 10.79 lakh workers under the rural employment guarantee scheme and Uttar Pradesh is at third position with around 9.06 lakh workers engaged by it.
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West Bengal is at the fourth position with 7.29 lakh workers engaged under MGNREGS, Madhya Pradesh at fifth with 7.24 lakh workers, Bihar at sixth with 6.71 lakh workers, Odisha at seventh position with 4.93 lakh workers and Karnataka at the eight position with 3.65 lakh labourers employed under the scheme, the statement said.
Chhattisgarh Panchayat and Rural Development Minister T S Singhdeo congratulated the state unit along with the district panchayats, janpad panchayats and, especially, the sarpanchs of the gram panchayats of the state.
He said that recognition and appreciation becomes more special as gram panchayats of the state are providing relief to labourers through MGNREGS by following social distancing norms in the villages.
Rajnandgaon, Janjgir-Champa and Mahasamund districts of Chhattisgarh are at the top in terms of maximum employment to MGNREGS workers at the state level.
"One lakh 74 thousand 859 labourers in Rajnandgaon district, one lakh 39 thousand 995 in Janjgir Champa district, one lakh 28 thousand 896 in Mahasamund district, one lakh 25 thousand 330 in Kabirdham (Kawardha), one lakh 18 thousand 290 in Mungeli, One lakh 14 thousand 137 in Bilaspur district, one lakh 10 thousand 82 in Balod district are engaged under MGNREGS," the statement added.