Naveen Demands Unemployment Allowance for MGNREGA Active Workers of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged the Centre to provide unemployment allowance for 21 days’ lockdown period to MGNREGA active workers of Odisha.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Odisha CM said that the poor people, particularly MGNREGA workers have been badly affected due to the 21 days lockdown.

“While we are taking all preemptive steps as a nation to minimize the damage due to COVID 19, a global pandemic, we must also see that the suffering of the people particularly those at the bottom of the pyramid is minimized”, the CM said.

In Odisha, there are 36,10,797 active workers during the current year who are deprived of getting work under MGNREGA due to 21 days’ lockdown. To protect their livelihood, an amount of Rs. 380.39 crore, which is one fourth of the wage rate as per the MGNREG Act may be sanctioned as unemployment allowance that will certainly help them to mitigate their sufferings during this lockdown period, as we are not in a position to give them work, Naveen stated.

The CM further said that the people of Odisha have positively responded to the calls of the Prime Minister during Janata Curfew and 21 days Lockdown.

The Odisha Government has also taken many proactive steps to ensure the safety and security of the people, he said.

“While we continue our fight with the impending challenge, I would like to bring to your notice that the poor people, particularly MGNREGA workers have been badly affected due to the 21 days Lockdown”, the CM stated.

Naveen requested the PM to consider his proposal and allow the State to use the MGNREGA fund and release the unemployment allowance to the account of the MGNREGA active workers of Odisha.