india

Updated: Apr 23, 2020 19:26 IST

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote a letter to Union Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday, requesting him for permission to distribute food grains as a part of wages to casual labourers who are working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The casual labourers are one of the hardest-hit sections of the society because of the ongoing nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were initially enforced on March 25 for 21 days and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3, to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak.

Baghel pointed out in his letter that the wages paid under the MNREGA get directly credited to the casual labourers’ bank account directly through National Electronic Fund Management System (NEFMS).

MNREGA caters to 31.5 lakh families in the state, he added. The scheme is being implemented while complying with all restrictions related to the enforcement of the ongoing lockdown. Currently, around 5 lakh casual labourers are being employed under the scheme, the CM said.

Baghel suggested an alternative mode of payment such as the distribution of food grains for these casual labourers as this would help them strictly follow the social distancing norms amid the viral outbreak. Besides, the CM cited that accessibility to banks in remote parts of the state, which is also hamstrung by poor internet connectivity and hit by Left-wing extremism, is still a major logistical challenge.

The CM informed Tomar that adequate food grains are available with the state government and an effective distribution mechanism is already at work. He requested the Central minister’s permission to distribute food grains among the casual labourers in a bid to ensure their food security amid the pandemic.