Tamil Nadu has issued a government order increasing workdays under the rural employment scheme to 150 days and releasing an additional Rs 100 crore to meet the extra expenditure.
The move follows the Centre’s recent decision under the “Viksit Bharat” employment and livelihood mission to raise the guaranteed work provision from 100 to 125 days. The newly formed TVK-led alliance government in Tamil Nadu had announced that the state would extend it further to 150 days, and the order has now been issued to implement it.
As per the order from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, registered rural households are provided up to 125 days of paid employment in a financial year under the central scheme, which has been implemented in Tamil Nadu from July 1 this year. Funding is shared between the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio.
The state has decided to fund an additional 25 days of work from its own share for eligible households that have already fully utilised the 125 days. Priority for the extra days will be given to six categories: women-headed households, women living alone, households with persons with disabilities, SC communities, ST communities, and other traditional forest dwellers.
The order also indicates that the additional 25 days will not be available to households outside these six categories, even if they have completed the 125-day entitlement.
