Amid lockdown regulations, the execution of works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has resumed fully within the limits of grama panchayats in Kozhikode district.
The total number of job card holders in the district is now 3,90,000, which is on the rise. They now come under 12 block panchayats and 70 grama panchayats. Of the total workers, 2,40,000 card holders are active workers.
Project coordinators say the total labour days expected during the financial year are 80,17,00 and it will directly help workers’ families overcome the post-lockdown financial crisis. “Last year, it was 6,92,000. We could give 100 days’ labour to 31,456 families in the district,” they say.
For speedy execution, works have been identified under 17 areas. They include pre-monsoon cleaning works, geotextile works for preventing soil erosion, conservation of riverbeds and creation of potable water sources.
Health protocol
The health protocol for COVID-19 prevention will be strictly followed at worksites. All job card holders have been given instructions to comply with directives. Grama panchayat secretaries will be responsible for coordinating safety measures.
GIS tagging
According to officials with the Rural Development Department, efforts are on to make local bodies more accountable for the execution of works through a new Geographic Information System-based tagging of project locations. In the future, only locations tagged under GIS will be selected for work implementation.
Sharing of geo-spatial data between various States for studies and comparison too is under consideration. In Kerala, the GIS tagging initiative using a special mobile application will cover 100 grama panchayats in the first phase. An interactive web-based GIS management system is now ready to facilitate the project implementation.
