‘Extend working days under MGNREGA’

Binoy Viswam asks Modi to make it a minimum of 200 days

July 08, 2020 05:13 am | Updated 05:13 am IST - New Delhi

PUDUCHERRY, 23/10/2015. CPI National executive committee member Binoy Viswam addressing a press conference at CPI party office in Puducherr on Friday. Photo:T. Singaravelou

PUDUCHERRY, 23/10/2015. CPI National executive committee member Binoy Viswam addressing a press conference at CPI party office in Puducherr on Friday. Photo:T. Singaravelou

CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged to extend the quota of working days under the MGNREGA scheme to a minimum of 200 days and additionally, extend the limitations of the scheme to per adult individual rather than per household.

“To ensure survival and dignity to all its citizens is the first and foremost responsibility of any ruling government under the social contract with its citizens,” Mr. Viswam said. The Hindu reported on Tuesday that 1.4 lakh poor rural households have already completed their 100 days quota of work and seven lakh are on the brink of completing more than 80 days and over 23 lakh households are nearing the 60-day mark.

Quoting this data, Mr. Viswam said in his letter that the extended lockdown has eroded all sources of livelihood and MGNREGA is the only hope left for the majority of the migrant workforces. “In such a situation, the inability to avail the MGNREGA scheme will be a near fatal blow for these households,” he wrote.

He pointed out that the scheme already contains a provision under which districts affected by natural disasters can request for an extension of the working quota up to 150 days. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a natural disaster that is affecting everyone, and the economic crisis induced by it is having an exacerbated effect on the poor rural population,” Mr. Viswam said .

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