Wayanad (Keralam), Nov 2 : Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has urged the Centre to release pending material component arrears under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAMG) rural employment scheme.
In a letter to Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Priyanka Gandhi highlighted several problems faced by rural workers. She referred to complaints raised by workers during her interaction with them in Nilambur last month.
Workers Face Problems with NMMS App
Priyanka Gandhi said frequent changes to the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app were creating difficulties for workers in recording their attendance.
Technical problems with the app are forcing workers to spend considerable time marking their attendance twice a day. In some cases, workers reportedly lose nearly two hours due to these issues, affecting their working hours and wages.
She requested the minister to send a special team to remote areas to assess these technical difficulties and review the app’s functioning.
She also suggested allowing workers to use physical muster rolls in areas with poor internet connectivity.
Better Insurance and Wage Protection for Women Workers
The Congress MP raised concerns about the safety of elderly women working in forest areas, where they face risks from snake bites and wildlife attacks.
She urged the Centre to increase insurance coverage for these workers and ensure that they do not lose their full day’s wages if they fall ill while working.
Senior Citizens and Differently-Abled Workers Face Difficulties
Priyanka Gandhi also pointed out that senior citizens, differently-abled people and workers with serious health conditions face difficulties in getting employment.
Although the law provides for special employment rates and provisions for these categories, their access to work remains a major concern, she said.
Concerns Over Priority for Skilled Jobs
The Wayanad MP further alleged that the revised list of permitted works under the new scheme gives greater importance to skilled jobs while reducing opportunities for unskilled workers.
She said the shift in priority could affect rural labourers who depend on unskilled employment for their livelihoods.
Priyanka Gandhi Seeks Changes in Wayanad Coffee Cultivation Rules
Priyanka Gandhi also highlighted the problems faced by coffee growers in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
She said restrictions limiting coffee cultivation-related activities to fallow land were affecting farmers. She urged the Centre to amend the existing provisions to allow coffee cultivation on agricultural land and other suitable areas.
Through her letter, Priyanka Gandhi called for changes to address workers’ difficulties, protect rural livelihoods and ensure better implementation of the VB-GRAMG scheme.
