The Wayanad district administration has launched a barefoot technicians training programme for educated tribal youth under the Sradha scheme of the State government to attract more youth from marginalized sections of society to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The project is envisaged to take the benefits of the MGNREGS to the grassroots level and ensure job opportunities to the educated among the section, C.V. Joy, programme coordinator, MGNREGS, Wayanad, told The Hindu . The Central government has launched the programme after finding poor participation of the tribal people, especially youth, in MGNREGA works.
As many as 32 educated tribal youth have been selected from the district and they would be provided three months’ training in preparing estimates, taking measurements of completed works and preparing bills for MGNREGS works, Mr. Joy said. The training programme began recently at the State Institute of Rural Development, Kottarakkara, with stipend, Mr. Joy added.
Those who complete the training programme would be appointed as 'barefoot technicians' of the MGNREGS in each grama panchayat in the district and they would be provided a wage of Rs.650 a day, he said.
To be executed in 4 States
The project would be executed in four States in the country, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Kerala with the technical support of the International Labour Organisation. Wayanad and Palakkad districts have been selected for executing the project in the State, he added.
