Karnataka Seeks Extended Employment Days in MGNREGS Amid Drought Crisis

Karnataka Seeks Extended Employment Days in MGNREGS Amid Drought Crisis

VoM News Desk | October 9, 2023 | 04:46 PM IST | Karnataka | Follow on Google News

Karnataka Seeks Extended Employment Days in MGNREGS Amid Drought Crisis .

Karnataka Seeks Extended Employment Days in MGNREGS Amid Drought Crisis

Karnataka’s Revenue Minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, announced on Monday that the state government has officially appealed to the Central government to extend the employment days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 days to 150 days. This move comes as the state grapples with a severe drought, and Gowda emphasized the need to provide relief to the affected population.

Demand for Increased Employment Days and Unpaid Wages

Addressing reporters, Gowda highlighted that the Central government’s team had recently visited the state to assess the drought situation. In light of this, the Karnataka government has made a two-fold demand: first, an extension of the employment days, and second, the release of approximately Rs 475 crore owed to laborers who had worked under MGNREGS. Many of these laborers are currently living in extreme poverty, and further delays in wage payments would only worsen their situation.

Legal Provisions and Central Team’s Assessment

Krishna Byre Gowda explained that there is a provision in the law that allows for an increase in employment days from 100 to 150 during drought conditions. The state government formally submitted a request letter to the Central government on September 23, urging it to issue an order to extend the number of employment days due to the ongoing drought.

He noted that the Central team conducted field inspections to assess the drought situation in the state and would be submitting its report to the relevant authorities within the next week. The state government is hopeful that the report will consider the plight of the people and justify the extension of employment days.

Ground Truthing and Clarification on Small and Marginal Farmers

The minister also mentioned that the cabinet sub-committee had declared 195 taluks in the state as drought-affected. Furthermore, district authorities have been directed to conduct ground truthing in 21 taluks, with reports expected by Friday. Ground truthing involves surveying crops and other conditions in the region to assess the impact of drought accurately.

Krishna Byre Gowda emphasized the state’s claim that it has more than 60 percent small and marginal farmers, contrary to the Central government’s statement of 46 percent. To support this assertion, the state government is gathering additional information to present as a supplementary memorandum to the Central team.

Concerns About Erratic Monsoon Patterns

The minister expressed concerns about the peculiar climatic conditions affecting Karnataka, including erratic monsoon patterns. He cited significant deviations in rainfall percentages over the past months, underscoring the need for the Central government to address this issue not only in Karnataka but also in other affected states.

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