New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to initiate action for release of advance payment to MGNREGA workers due to lockdown saying nearly eight crore rural workers in the country need support from the government.
In her letter, Gandhi said that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been a critical lifeline for the rural poor, particularly during periods of chronic economic distress.
She said lakhs of agricultural workers have been left unemployed during the crucial harvesting season.
“Devoid of an alternative source of income, an increasingly large number of the rural poor are expected to demand work under MGNREGA. However, social distancing norms have rendered all works unfeasible during the lockdown,” she said.
