COVER STORY/MGNREGA

says, “Every day, we used to procure vegetables worth 500 from the community nutrition garden. About 375 kg of tomato, chilli, brinjal, spinach, coriander and bottle guard came from the garden.”

Soon, the demand for works under MGNREGA shot up. In Chhatarpur of the state, while the work demand between May and July 2019-20 stood at 26,218, 27,346 and 23,567 households respectively, the same for this year jumped to 37,334, 46,097 and 45,151. As many as 141 people applied for new job cards; some of them have got work at the community nutrition garden.

On April 12, on hearing the news of his father’s demise, Kishori Lal Kushwaha started his journey from Haryana’s Hissar district to Ragoli on foot. It took Kushwaha 20 days to reach home. Once in Ragoli, he was met with a different uncertainty. “I didn’t have a single penny left,” he said. But fortunately, the community nutrition garden has provided him with work. Along with 12 other people, he is now responsible for maintaining the orchard that has 500 trees. I now receive 190 a day under MGNREGA,” Kushwaha says.

“What we are witnessing now is the real potential of MGNREGA. If people’s labour is invested on water conservation and agriculture-related activities, the return is very high; in fact, it is higher than the immediate wage,” says Sanjay.

Individuals, small groups now join MGNREGA not for immediate relief but as long-term investment