JAIPUR: Even though the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was recently applauded by experts across the country for its success in reducing the unemployment rates during COVID times, it has once again come in the limelight. Workers employed under the scheme in Rajasthan expressed their demands on Monday, June 30, and wanted an increase in the days of work from the present 100 days to 200 days per household. Along with this, workers also demanded an increase in the daily wages to atleast Rs 600. Demonstrations were held at several work sites on Monday and a memoranda of their demands was submitted to the authorities.
The MGNREGS labourers placed their demands through different methods at 214 work sites, 298 village panchayat headquarters and 58 blocks in 24 districts of the State. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and the Rajasthan Unorganised Labour Union led the protests at several places.
In view of the increase livelihood crisis in urban areas and in order to avoid labourers from continuing migration trends to rural areas, the workers demanded the introduction of an urban employment guarantee scheme on the same lines as the MGNREGS.
While the Government of Rajasthan has affirmed that the flagship employment scheme was creating durable assets and had evolved a rights-based framework, civil rights groups said increasing the guaranteed 100 days under the MGNREGS to 200 days would help the poorest of the poor who normally completed the mandated days. “People in the villages have no work options other than MGNREGS. A large number of labourers will shortly complete 100 days of work, but there will still be eight months left in the current financial year,” Kamal Tak of Suchna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan said. Increasing the days of work would especially help the migrant labourers who were going to stay in villages for some time. Another issue that was raised by the workers during their demonstration was that of selection of MGNREGS work sites.
They demanded that the work sites must be decided only after an approval is given for them by the Gram Sabha or wards. This would ensure that the work being carried out under the Scheme contributes to building permanent public assets in rural areas.