24 June:Migration-hit Mahabunagar district is now witnessing a change – from overthree lakh families migrating in 2005, the numbers have now dipped to 53,000 families due to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The migratory workers of Mahabubnagar are much sought after in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Surat and over the years have come to be known as ‘Palamuru workers’ as Mahabubnagar is also known as Palamuru.
The migratory workers are engaged in unskilled works like digging and construction."Earlier the number of workers who migrated was shocking. Over three lakh families migrated in 2005," P Ravinder, Project Director, Mahabubnagar District Water
Management Agency, told a news agency.Though many villagers of the district own some land, lack of irrigation facilities coupled with scanty rainfall made cultivation difficult.
However, state government officials claim NREGS has helped in substantially reducing the mass migration of workers.Quoting a survey conducted by the state revenue department, Ravinder said only 53,000 families migrated last year after the scheme was launched in the region in 2006.
"We have provided employment to 6.86 lakh individuals ever since the scheme was launched in the district, he said.Under NREGS, a sum of Rs 53.4 crore was spent in 2006, while Rs 155 crore was spent last year and already Rs 50 crore has been spent till June 20 this year in the district, he said.
Laxmi, a NREGS worker at Nagireddypally of Bomraspet mandal in the district is satisfied with the working hours and earnings now.Ashappa, a worker at Maturu village, said the NREGS made him stay back in his own village.
"Earlier we used to move from city to city. But now we have work and good decent wages also," he said.The workers are paid Rs 82 per day. However, some of the workers complained about the delay in payment of wages.
"We were told that the wages will be credited to our post office savings account every week. But we are not getting it even after for 20 days," Yellamma, working at Gundlakunta village, said.
However, local officials said the delay was due to frequent power failure and computerisation of records.Many workers have been demanding that their wages are enhanced to Rs 150 per day.
Asked about the demand, Ravinder said the daily wage of Rs 80 is higher than what they get otherwise from private contractors or businessmen.
He said they were trying to bring down migration by convincing workers about the benefits of NREGS.As equal wages among men and women is ensured, it has also helped the poor families to send their children to private schools.
Ravinder said NREGS funds have been consciously invested in augmenting land and water resources in rural areas to secure livelihood for the poor.
The state government has converged funds from National Horticulture Mission, Micro Irrigation Project with NREGS.As part of the initiative, plantations are taken up on the land of poor by giving 100 per cent subsidy and 20,000 acres horticulture plantation has been taken up under NREGS during 2007-08. Courtsey : DD NEWS