Urban job guarantee scheme facing hiccups in corporation area

Work has resumed only in one division of city corporation

Work under the Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS) has resumed in a single division of the Kochi Corporation, with officials citing shortage of funds in allotting additional work under the scheme.

In Chambakkara, around 10 women were engaged in cleaning the drains and clearing weeds on the stretch leading up to Gandhi Square from the bridge, said V.P. Chandran, councillor representing the area. Not more than five people would work on a single site, he said.

Govt. order

As per a government order issued earlier this month, workers would have to be provided with masks and gloves, and physical distancing would have to be maintained at work sites. Work left over from the previous year could be taken up as spillover projects for this year. The order says that pre-monsoon cleaning is to be given particular importance while taking up work under the scheme and workers over 65 years of age should not be employed.

Shortage of funds

A severe shortage of funds had kept more work from being assigned, said officials associated with the project at the Corporation. An amount of ₹10 lakh was taken out of the Corporation’s own fund earlier this year and would have to be recovered later from the State. Some councillors had asked for pre-monsoon cleaning work to be allotted under the scheme after beneficiaries had enquired after it, but work could be allotted only as long as that amount lasted, since no additional amount was received from the State.

“The scheme could help at least a few workers get by financially once work is allotted,” said K.J. Antony, councillor representing Nazareth, where there are 16 active workers registered under the scheme. Once lockdown restrictions had eased, workers had begun enquiring after allotment of work, said Bindu Levin, councillor from Karippalam.

Audit report

An audit report of the utilisation of the previous year’s allotted funds would have to be submitted before funds were released, said S. Subodh, project officer for the scheme. A little over ₹50 lakh had been allotted to the Corporation in the previous financial year. The Corporation was still in the process of readying its audit report, said officials associated with the project. An action plan chalked out by Corporation officials for the year aims to take up work worth nearly ₹15 crore for the current financial year. The plan would be placed before the council for its approval at the next meeting.