Farmers representatives pleaded with the authorities to allow the farm workers enrolled under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to involve themselves in other agricultural activities during the farm season. There is an acute scarcity of farm labour in the district and this had hit the farm activities in a big way, they said.
C. Vaiyapuri, president, United Farmers Association – Tamil Nadu, said that no concrete work is being implemented under the MGNREGS in the district. The involvement of the farm workers in it has led to scarcity of hands for other farm activities, he complained.
K. Sundaram, general secretary, Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said that even the senior government officials concede that this concept has not served any real purpose. The implementation of this programme has caused much hardship to the farmers in the form of non-availability of farm hands. On many occasion, the workers of these programme were seen idling. Mr. Sundaram made a forceful plea not to implement the MNREGS works during the agricultural season. This will enable availability of adequate man power for undertaking the farm activities without any difficulty.
Even while executing the MNREGS works, the authorities should ensure that they are implemented strictly as per the government norms.
District Collector V. Sampath said that about 4,500 farm ponds have been dug under the MGNREGS in the district.
Acute scarcity of labour in Salem has hit agricultural activity
