TN announces Rs 100 crore urban employment scheme

CHENNAI: The Government of Tamil Nadu will implement an urban employment scheme on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at a cost of Rs 100 crore. K N Nehru, Minister of Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply, Government of Tamil Nadu, said that the scheme was announced in order to improve the livelihood of urban poor.

Nehru said that the scheme will be implemented in two zones in Greater Chennai Corporation, one zone each in other municipal corporations, one municipality each under seven Regional Directorate of Municipal Administration and one town panchayat each in 37 districts. He added that the urban population of Tamil Nadu is growing fast and would reach 60 per cent of the total population by 2036.

Nehru added that Tamil Nadu government will implement the Kalaignar Urban Development Scheme at a cost of Rs 1000 crore, as announced in the state budget. The main objective of the programme is to provide employment to those urban poor who had lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A senior official said that thousands of jobs were lost and the state government discussed ways to create jobs for them. The workers under the scheme will be used for activities such as desilting of water bodies and maintenance of public parks and other places, he added.