“Directions issued for raising wage under NREGA”

“The government has created awareness among the workers about the scheme’’

Municipal Administration Minister K.P. Munusamy on Tuesday told the Assembly that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had issued directions for further increasing the wage provided under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in the State.

Replying to a calling attention motion, he said wages would be fixed taking into consideration the quantum of work.

Mr. Munusamy said the government in two and half years had created 97.11 crore mandays of wok and Rs. 5,760 crore had been distributed as wages. The Chief Minister also allotted an additional Rs. 3,504 crore.

This, he said, was a great achievement when compared to the 69.45 mandays of work created in five years of the DMK rule.

“Moreover, the AIADMK government had doubled the wages in the last two and half years. The government also distributed farm implements to 26,000 women self-help groups,” he said.

Mr. Munusamy said the government had created awareness among the workers about the scheme and they were able to get Rs. 148 per day.

Earlier, CPI(M) member A. Laser wanted the government to reduce the quantum of work for women as they could not complete the work, particularly in dry seasons.

When Puthiya Tamizhagam member K. Krishnasamy complained that in many places workers were paid wages much below the fixed amount, the Minister said he would take immediate action if the member provided specific details.