TN government lists norms for diff-abled G Ram G workers

CHENNAI: The State government has issued detailed guidelines for the participation of persons with disabilities (PwDs) under the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-GRAM G), which came into effect on July 1.

According to a Government Order issued by the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, PwDs have been assigned two categories of work based on their abilities.

Under the special works category, PwD workers can supply drinking water to workers at worksites, take care of their children, remove leaves and small shrubs, and level sand on bunds.

Under the second category, they can undertake activities such as planting saplings, digging trenches and constructing earthen bunds for water conservation. These works may be assigned wherever adequate workers are available at a worksite.

The government has directed that PwD workers should be organised into groups of five to ten members. They will be required to complete only 50 per cent of the prescribed workload, work for four hours a day, and will still receive full wages.

The order also mandates that job cards be issued to all eligible PwD workers within 15 days, without imposing any conditions.

Further, separate e-Muster Rolls will be maintained for PwD workers by Block Development Officers. The government has also ordered the conduct of exclusive grievance redressal camps for PwD workers once every two months, on a Tuesday, to address issues relating to the implementation of the scheme.

The G Ram G scheme, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), has introduced special provisions to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce.