MGNREGA project timely to help rural workers, says Bedi

: The lockdown necessitated by

the outbreak of COVID-19 has hit the rural poor workers here, following loss of jobs and earnings.

But the MGNREGA project of the Central government has come to their rescue to earn and run the family.

This rural employment programme is known in common parlance as 'nooru naal velai thittam.'

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi in a whatsapp message on Saturday that the Centre had hiked the daily wage for the workers from Rs 229 to Rs 259. "We thank the Centre for the gesture," she said listing out the various schemes sanctioned for Puducherry with copious funds during the current lockdown.

 

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had said at a press briefing on Friday that the implementation of the rural employment guarantee scheme was a boon to the labourers.

"Presently, 10,000 workers are benefited by the rural programme meant to improve the infrastructures in villages. In course of time the number of beneficiaries would increase to touch around eight lakh labourers in the Union Territory," he had said.

Also, the rural all-women self-help groups are carrying out projects particularly horticulture schemes bringing confirmed earnings to the members, he had said.

Puducherry government also announced that loans would be available through banks to self-help groups and a part of the interest is being borne by the government, he had said.