Karnataka urges Centre to extend employment period under MGNREGS in drought-hit areas

Kalaburagi: In light of the severe drought conditions prevailing in Karnataka, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, has wrote to Union Minister of Panchayat Raj, Giriraj Singh he urged to increase the number of guaranteed person days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the drought-affected regions. He has also sought a revision of the labor budget allocated to Karnataka.

Kharge's letter details Karnataka's shortfall in rainfall during the monsoon season, resulting in drought conditions. Consequently, the state government declared 195 blocks across 31 districts as 'Drought Affected Blocks.'

He stated that presently, employment has been provided to approximately 20.86 lakh households, generating an impressive 7.36 crore person-days of work in the drought-afflicted blocks. Anticipating a surge in demand for employment due to the drought, the state has already submitted a proposal to increase the employment period from 100 days to 150 days.

"The cumulative person-days target for these drought-affected blocks in the current fiscal year is 1234 lakhs. Extending the employment period from 100 to 150 days will have an impact on this cumulative target. Moreover, in the initial five and a half months of the current fiscal, the state had an average 1.52 crore person-days of employment generation per month. With the approved labor budget of 1300 lakhs person-days for this fiscal depleting rapidly, the state foresees a need for 1800 lakhs person-days of employment generation," he explained.

"In light of the acute drought situation, I earnestly request the consideration of extending the employment period from 100 to 150 days in the drought-affected blocks, and a revision of the labor budget for Karnataka for the financial year 2023-24, from 1300 lakhs person-days to 1800 lakhs person-days," Kharge concluded, stressing the urgency of the matter.