5 lakh new MNREGS cards issued amid migrant influx in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW: In an indication that Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is turning into a job spinner amid influx of migrants into the state, rural development department has issued nearly 5 lakh new job cards while engaging over 7 lakh people during lockdown.
This means that almost half of the total 16 lakh migrants returning to UP may have got jobs under the scheme.
According to the figures compiled by the department, at least 4,63,911 new job cards have been issued since April 21 when the state government decided to start economic activity after the first phase of lockdown.
Data show that maximum over 26,000 job cards were issued in Siddharthnagar, an economically poor district of east UP region. It was also districts which received highest number of migrants in the state.
Likewise in Azamgarh, the parliamentary constituency of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, nearly 25,000 new job cards were issued.
In Gorakhpur, the home turf of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, at least 17,000 new job cards were issued.
Similar was the case with Ghazipur, the parliamentary constituency represented by BSP strongman Afzal Ansari –brother of mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari – where over 15,000 job cards were issued. In Rohilkhand region, the highest number of over 20,000 job cards were issued in Bareilly.
Additional commissioner, MNREGS, Yogesh Kumar said: “The number of new job cards is gradually increasing as scores of migrants are returning to the state. This also indicates the unskilled people are looking up to the scheme for employment.”
A senior official in rural development said, “Total number of people engaged in MNREGS is already touching 30-lakh mark. It also includes workers who had job cards but could not work due to the lockdown.”
Statistics show that the department started work under MNREGS in a graded manner. MNREGS works were conducted in 13,265 gram panchayats in Covid green zones (20 districts), in 24,482 gram panchayats in orange zones (36 districts) and in 8,658 panchayats in red zone (10 districts).