Rural job scheme workers to get more wages in TN

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday hiked the daily wages for over 25 lakh rural workers who have enrolled themselves under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA). 

The objective of the Act is to enhance the livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed employment with wages in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Through the process of providing employment on works that address causes of chronic poverty, such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion, the scheme seeks to strengthen the natural resource base of rural livelihood and create durable assets in rural areas.

Protecting water resources, implementing afforestation programmes, desilting lakes and ponds etc., are some of the rural welfare works being undertaken under the scheme.

The scheme is being implemented in all districts of Tamil Nadu. So far, Rs 119 has been paid as daily wages and now on, it will be hiked to Rs 132 per day.