: The State Cabinet has decided to increase employment under NREGA to 20 lakh people against existing 13 lakh. The Cabinet also decided to employ persons to supply drinking water and buttermilk to NREGA workers.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that the persons assisting NREGA workers would also be paid Rs. 192 a day. The working hours for NREGA workers were also reduced in view of the prevailing heat wave conditions. Buttermilk and water would be supplied to them everyday, he said.
Stating that the State was reeling under excess heat conditions, the Chief Minister made a fervent appeal to the people not to venture out of their houses from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The temperatures were rising in an unprecedented manner. Prevention was better than cure, he said.
As many as 7,232 ‘chalivendrams’ are arranged all over the State to supply drinking water to the general public. The government had supplied 6.52 lakh ORS packets to the public till date, he said.
Water supply
The government would release Rs.200 crore for augmenting water supply during the summer. Though water crisis was not as severe as last year, the government has decided to supply water through tankers in 560 villages. Last year, water was supplied to 4,000 villages through tankers. The borewells and hand bores would be repaired immediately. The government would release another Rs. 3 crore to every district to open water kiosks and supply butter milk to pedestrians, he said. Mr. Naidu said fodder banks would be opened in every village. At least 50 acre land in every village should be identified for the fodder banks. Either DWCRA groups or a farmer of respective village would be roped in to supply green fodder to dairy farmers. The government was chalking out plans to ease fodder scarcity, he said.
