Rajasthan to restart MGNREGA works within COVID-19 restrictions

20 lakh rural families were engaged in them before projects were stopped due to pandemic

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) works and the rural development projects will restart in Rajasthan with the State government’s Rural Development Department issuing guidelines to be followed during the COVID-19 related restrictions. These works were earlier suspended when the strict lockdown started in the State on May 10. About 20 lakh rural families were engaged in the MGNREGA works, which were halted along with other rural development projects. The rural workforce was deprived of an important source of livelihood, as the State government suspended the works in view of more than 30% of the infection cases being reported from villages. K.K. Pathak, Secretary, Rural Development, said here on Tuesday a maximum of 10 labourers would be engaged at the work sites with the provisions for prior approval and measurement of works. “The labourers will be allotted the work as per their demand. The village development officers will verify the measurement of works written on the reverse side of muster rolls,” he said.