Migrant labourers who returned to Uttar Pradesh amid lockdown find work under MNREGA

The Uttar Pradesh Government is providing jobs to migrant labourers who have returned from various parts of the country under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Labourers who returned to Lakhimpur Kheri from places like Gujarat, Jharkhand and Delhi during the lockdown, have been provided work under the MNREGA scheme. Most of the labourers told ANI that they are now able to earn a living and look after the needs of their families.

"I used to work in Delhi's Madipur. I came back here after the lockdown was imposed. I got work under MNREGA and now I am able to earn living for my family," a labourer said.

Another labourer said, "I came here from Gujarat after the lockdown. I got work under MNREGA and I am also getting free ration. I work regularly."

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Lockdown forces workers out of jobs

The Coronavirus outbreak has created an adverse impact on the workforce in general and especially the migrant labourers. A large number of migrant workers returned to their native states when the state borders were opened. The highest number of (30 lakh) migrant workers have returned to Uttar Pradesh during this period. 31 of the total 50 districts of Uttar Pradesh have more than 25,000 migrant workers who travelled in from other states.

MGNREGA provides a legal guarantee of 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to perform unskilled jobs at the statutory minimum wage.

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(With inputs from ANI)