The Hindu : Kerala News : NREGS: women outnumber men

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 13, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

NREGS: women outnumber men

Staff Reporter

KASARAGOD: Women outnumber men in registering for jobs under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) being implemented in the district from 2007.

In fact, the shortage of male applicants is affecting execution of some of the difficult works under the NREGS which required adequate number of male workers, say the presidents of various panchayats in the district.

Equal wages

Madikkai panchayat president R. Rajan noted that male workers were finding the wages of Rs.125 given to both male and female workers under the NREGS unattractive. He made the comment during an interaction of panchayat presidents in the district with Vice-Chairman of the Planning Board Prabhat Patnaik.

A male labourer gets around Rs.200 a day in the district. Presidents of almost all other panchayats in the district echoed the view of Mr. Rajan. He noted that there was shortage of sufficient number of office staff and engineers in the execution of works under the scheme.

Presidents of a majority of panchayats noted that works which aimed at creation of assets as envisaged by the NREGS had not progressed substantially.

While the labour cost could be met with the fund of the NREGS, there was shortage of sufficient funds for covering the material costs for works.

More for skills

Kayyur-Cheemeni panchayat president Sakuntala noted that skilled workers who were employed for works under the NREGS demanded more wages. Under the present system it was difficult to provide high wages to them and that was leading to shortage of skilled workers.

Panchayat presidents noted that procedural delay in obtaining technical sanction for works and clearing bills of works were holding up various projects.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala