The number of workers hired under the program is relatively high in the border districts (File)
Jaipur:
More than 49 lakh people got jobs with MGNREGA in Rajasthan on June 6, a jump of more than 17 lakh from the same day last year, officials said.
However, they said the increase in numbers was not solely due to people who returned from other states due to the coronavirus lockout.
Many of them were locals who were laid off due to the foreclosure.
State Commissioner MGNREGA, PC Kishan, said: “It is not only migrant workers, local people like barbers and launderers who have benefited from the program.” He said 49,52,496 people were employed on Saturday under Mahatma Gandhi’s guaranteed employment law in 9,983 panchayats.
The state has a total of 11,346 panchayats.
A year ago, June 6, the number was 32,25,931, 17.26,565 less than the figures for this year, he said.
Kishan said there is also evidence of how the regime has proven to be a “boon” for those who have returned from other states.
The number of workers hired under this program is relatively high in the state border districts to which most returnees from other parts of the country belong.
In the Udaipur district, he said that 2.65,153 people were employed on Saturday, compared to 1,33,979 people who got a job last year.
Similarly, in Dungarpur, 3,333,078 workers found employment compared to 2,24,678 people last year.
At Bhundel gram panchayat in Khivsar panchayat samiti, around 2,000 people were employed to maintain seven ponds.
Over 200 were those who returned from other states.
Sarpanch Dharmendra Gaur said: “MGNREGA has proven to be a boon for the unemployed in this time of crisis, whether migrant or local.”
Authorities say Rajasthan is currently at the top in terms of job creation under the program.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
