Disbursal of MGNREGA dues will reduce rural distress: Sonowal

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who has succeeded in containing the spread of coronavirus by intensifying coordination at grassroot level, stressed the need of proper implementation of all the government schemes so that benefits percolate down to all the genuine beneficiaries.

Warning that his government was not going to tolerate any kind of corruption in implementation of the schemes, Mr Sonowal, who addressed the panchayat presidents and secretaries of the state through telephone conference, said that disbursal of MGNREGA wages to job card holders should be ensured so that the distressed people in rural areas can get benefits of the scheme.

Lauding the panchayat presidents and secretaries for successful observation of first two phases of lockdown, the chief minister also asked them to ensure resumption of works under schemes like MGNREGA while maintaining social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols.

Asking the panchayat presidents and secretaries to ensure social distancing, wearing of mask and keeping provision for soap, water and hand-washing by the workers engaged under MGNREGA and other schemes, the chief minister directed them to purchase 2,000 masks by each panchayat from SHGs so that they can be distributed among the workers.

Warning that corrupt practices in implementation of government schemes would bring bad name to the entire government machinery, Mr Sonowal called upon the panchayat presidents and secretaries to ensure that genuine beneficiaries get their dues and no one is deprived due to irregularities.

Earlier, Assam chief minister who visited Western Assam to assess the situation in frontier districts, directed the authorities to ensure the proper implementation of lockdown. Warning that relaxation doesn’t permit them to violate the other existing norms of the lockdown, Mr Sonowal said that if violation of lockdown continues, strict measures will be taken to enforce its implementation. Asserting that social distancing was the only option to contain this pandemic, the chief minister said, “If it is not followed religiously, the government will not be able to help them.”

Earlier, state health minister Pijush Hazarika also announced that the government will implement a law on mask-wearing. He said that if any person comes out in public places without wearing a mask, he/she will have to pay a penalty of Rs 500 and might face a jail term.