Kerala government announces Onam festival allowance for MGNREGS workers

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Friday announced the Onam festival allowance for workers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme who have completed 100 working days.

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal said all the workers who completed 100 working days under the schemes will get Rs 1,000 as festival allowance on the occasion of Onam.

The Finance Department sanctioned Rs 46 crore for this purpose. Balagopal said a total of 4.6 lakh people will be provided the allowance.

The Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme, devised by the state government, aims to provide a strong, rights-based social safety net for people residing in the urban areas of Kerala.

The scheme would give beneficiaries a fallback job source when other employment alternatives are scarce or inadequate. It has been envisioned on the lines of the well-known MGNREGS.

Earlier this week, the Kerala government announced a bonus of Rs 4,000 for state-sector employees in connection with the Onam season.

The LDF dispensation had also announced Rs 2,750 as a special festival allowance for those government employees who are not entitled to the bonus.