Kerala govt announces Onam festival allowance for MGNREGS workers

The Kerala government on Monday decided to distribute Onam festival allowance to workers of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) and Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme who completed 100 working days.

State Finance Minister K N Balagopal said all the workers who completed 100 working days under these schemes will get Rs 1,000 as festival allowance on the occasion of Onam.

He said a total of 5.21 lakh people will get the allowance.

Meanwhile, the State government has sanctioned Rs 1,749.73 crore for the disbursement of Rs 3,200 as welfare pension for two months to 50.53 lakh beneficiaries before September 5.

''Rs 210.67 cr will be distributed as Welfare Board Pensions to 6.52 lakh members as well, so that everyone in Kerala can celebrate Onam,'' Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a social media post.