Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to sanction Rs 380.39 crore for providing unemployment allowance to active MGNREGS workers of the state .
“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 people of Odisha have positively responded to the calls of the lion’ble Prime Minister during Janata Curfew and 21 days Lockdown.
My Government has also taken many proactive steps to ensure the safety and security of the people. 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. 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 MONREG 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,” writes CM Naveen Patnaik to PM Narendra Modi
Prasanta Patnaik