Over 95,000 still work on Employment Guarantee Scheme

Despite good rainfall across Maharashtra, 95,672 labourers were found taking up odd jobs available under the 21,192 ongoing projects of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Though the state government has claimed that the number of labourers have reduced in the beginning of the month, activists and experts have put the blame on government’s faulty agriculture policies that are forcing a number of small farmers to work under the MGNREGS.

The government has claimed that at present 4.20 lakh jobs are available under MGNREGS that can provide employment to 1,258 lakh labourers. According to a government official, “Till August 8, 95,672 labourers from across the state were working for 21,192 ongoing projects. It was found that although the number of labourers went down in Amaravati, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Beed, Jalgaon, Latur, Palghar, Dhule, Buldana, Parbhani districts, it increased in Chandrapur, Washim, Gadchiroli, Nandurbar and Ratnagiri.”

Pointing out that small-land holding farmers are forced to take up jobs as they fail to make both ends meet with just farming, agriculture expert and former vice chancellor of Agriculture University, Sharad Nibalkar, said, “We need to investigate about these ongoing MGNREGS works. But the fact remains that small farmers take up MGNREGS jobs, besides farming, to sustain their livelihood. Although the monsoon was good this year, it rained only for around 35-40 days. While the farming season is mainly of two-three months, the farmers are left to fend for themselves for the rest of the year.” Mr Nimbalkar also criticised the not so farmer-friendly agricultural policies.

Agriculture activist from Vidarbha region, Gajanan Ahmedabadkar, said, “The current and previous governments have destroyed agriculture. For farmers, farming is not enough to survive through the year. So, many small farmers are forced to take jobs under MGNREGS projects.”