UP achieves MGNREGS annual target in 6 months

Lucknow, Oct 20: Uttar Pradesh has set a record of creating 26.1 crore man-days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in just six months against the annual target of 26 crore.This is for the first time that the state has achieved the annual target of the scheme in just half the duration.The state rural development department achieved the feat by accelerating the job creation under the MGNREGS for lakhs of migrants who returned to the state, during the lockdown.According to the government spokesman, the Yogi Adityanath government started giving jobs to the migrants from April 21, a month after the national lockdown was announced.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a statement that the scheme proved to be of immense help in providing jobs to migrants who came back to rural areas in large numbers amid the peak of pandemic.The scheme, he said, was implemented in a strategic manner while carrying out various important works, including the revival of rivers, ponds and plantation of trees. "All these activities helped the state government in providing jobs to the migrants," Yogi Adityanath said.In the past, the MGNREGS has not been a big job spinner in the state. Data show that the target for enrolment of people under the scheme has largely remained constant at 1.03 crore households for the past five years. This translates into around five crore annual man-days. (IANS)