Students to spread awareness about employment

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 8 APRIL: The Malda district administration will appoint students to spread awareness among people regarding seeking employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The decision has been taken following the annual report on MGNREGS of this district in 2009-10. The district administrative officials informed that registered labourers hold job cards but do not ask the government for jobs.

According to annual report, the number of job card holders is 5, 65,383 but only 1, 38,930 registered labourers have demanded for 100-days job from the government in last financial year. Interestingly, 3, 18,370 accounts have been opened in banks and post offices for the payment of registered labourers till 31 March 2010.  

The district nodal officer (DNO), MRNREGS in Malda, Mr Tanay Deb Sarkar said: “We want to train students in upper primary and secondary classes about MGNREGS. We shall then request trained students to campaign and spread awareness about 100-days job through their family members to increase demand of employment”.

“We will also organise interactive session in colleges where students will take part. Students will be able to motivate needy villagers to demand for jobs”, Mr Deb Sarkar said.  

The idea was conceived here under Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme  following the idea of Orissa and Karnataka state governments where ‘Labour Movement Group’ has been formed to spread awareness among  people for demanding  jobs.

The group members are being paid for this job. The Centre has drafted a plan to form Lok Sebak Group to educate people about their right to work under the MRNREGA.

The annual report on MRNREGS in Malda shows that the district has been able to create 55, 01,130 ‘person-days’ after completing 2464 schemes. It has also been able to provide 39.60 average ‘person-days’ per household. In 2008-09 the average person-days provided per household was 16.65 out of 100-days.  The district claimed average wage rate per Man-days was Rs. 84.36 in 2009-10.

Total availability of fund was Rs 75.74 crore in 2009-10 and out of which the district had incurred expenses of Rs. 70.25 crore, i.e. 92.75 per cent of total funds allotted. The state has allotted a fresh fund of Rs 5 crore in April for implementing MRNREGS.

To achieve better position in state level ranking the district has started to execute ‘individual beneficiary scheme’ through the ‘self help group’ members with a plan to increase women participation.

Development of burning ghats and graveyards through MRNREGS is another plan of this district to increase ‘average person days’.