Bengal tops in 100-day work programme again

They have applied for job cards, hesaid.Around 14 lakh migrant labourers had returned to thestate since March last year when the lockdown was announced inthe country to check the spread of COVID-19.

West Bengal generated 36 croreperson days under the 100 Days' Work scheme to get the firstposition in the country and bag the National Award four timesin a row, the state government said on Wednesday.

''In the current year also, with 36 crore person daysgeneration and 1.1 crore workers engaged, West Bengal isNumber 1 in the country today,'' the government said in astatement.

The state ''receives National Award continuously in 100Days' Work for the last 4 years'', it said.

At least 6,46,299 migrant labourers were provided withjobs while 3,81,604 such workers got new job cards, thestatement said.

The West Bengal government, since the launch of the'Duare Sarkar' drive in December has received over 11 lakhrequests for job cards under the Mahatma Gandhi National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act (NGNREGA), a senior official said onWednesday.

''Duare Sarkar'' is an initiative of the stategovernment for delivery of specific schemes at the doorstepsof people through camps organised at the level of grampanchayat and municipal ward.

''Over 2.53 crore people have visited 26,036 DuareSarkar camps between December 1 and January 25. Of them,11,38,960 people sought job cards under the MGNREGA,'' anofficial data released by the state government revealed.

A significant proportion of the migrant workers, whoreturned to the state during the lockdown but did not applyfor job cards initially thinking of going back to the stateswhere they had migrated in search of livelihood. Now they haveapplied and this could be a reason behind the surge in thenumber of applicants, an official said.

''Another reason is people have lost jobs and but didnot get new employment. They have applied for job cards,'' hesaid.

Around 14 lakh migrant labourers had returned to thestate since March last year when the lockdown was announced inthe country to check the spread of COVID-19.