HYDERABAD: A whopping 32 lakh applications were received for the job cards during the three-day gram sabhas conducted in 13 districts identified for implementing the Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (APREGS).

There was a virtual clamour from labourers in the rural areas of Adilabad, Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy, Vizianagaram and Warangal districts which have been selected for the first phase.

The ambitious APREGS aims at livelihood security to rural households through 100 days of guaranteed employment.

Equal wages

The idea is to create durable assets and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor.

The scheme will ensure employment on demand to every household. Equal wages will be paid to both men and women and contractors are avoided in the works, which are approved by the gram panchayats, mandal parishads and zilla parishads.

Director of the Employment Guarantee Scheme A. Murali told The Hindu that there was a flood of applications for the job cards, on the first two days of the gram sabhas held on February 1 and 2, when 27 lakh applications were submitted to the gram panchayats. Thereafter another five lakh applications were received.

The gram panchayat staff were scrutinising the applications to avoid any duplication of applications. Once the exercise is complete, computerised job cards will be issued to the identified labourers from first week of March.

The Gram Panchayat-APREGS plan to identify the works would emerge by March 10, Mr. Murali said. The final shelf of projects covering areas like farm ponds, minor irrigation facilities, drought proofing, plantations, soil and moisture conservation, renovation of traditional water bodies and rural connectivity for access throughout the year would be ready by March 25.

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