KOLLAM: Effectively utilising manpower under the National Rural Employment Guaranty Scheme (NREGS), a village in Kollam will get a new Anganavadi building. In a first of its kind in the district, the workers affiliated to the scheme are constructing the building in the II ward of East Panappetti in Sasthamkotta grama panchayat. The Anganavadi building is estimated to cost nearly Rs 5 lakh which includes the cost of building materials and labour. The workers including women will be assured a maximum of 267 working days through the project. The building includes a hall, veranda, kitchen, store room, work area, and two toilets. A compound wall will also be constructed to protect the Anganavadi building.
The panchayat decided to construct the new 620 square feet building as the old one was dilapidated. A meeting convened at the panchayat decided to include the construction works under NREGS which turned out to be instrumental in providing jobs to these workers. The panchayat has also purchased additional land to accommodate the building, making it a total of 3 cents. “This is the first such project to be undertaken by MNREGS workers in the district. The workers are directed by three expert masons recruited by the Panchayat, guiding them in the construction. The foundation stone was laid by T.R. Sankara Pillai, Sasthamkotta panchayat president, who took initiative for the project,” Safeena Hussain, ward member East Panappetti, told DC.
The ward has around 130 workers under the scheme and they have been given jobs in a phased manner. On an average, 15 workers are engaged in the construction of the building on a daily basis. The small village in rural Kollam has thus turned into a role model for other MNREGA units across the State that have attracted controversies including allegations of wastage of human resources.
