Kupwara (Kashmir): Every winter, Mohamad Ramzan's land gets buried under snow leaving him with no work.
But this winter will be different as he has another source of income for 100 days that pays him Rs 90 per day.
Living on the edge for decades, villagers in far-flung Kupwara are plugging on to prosperity, courtsey the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The Rs 9000 that Ramzan would be earning in the winter means a lot for his family of seven as he is the only earning member and perhaps that is why he holds on to his job card so firmly.
"We are very happy with the scheme. It is a gift to poor people like us,'' says he.
Clearing the snow - the first step in building a three kilometer road in the Natnusa hamlet of Kupwara - is one of the works identified under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
For Tanvir, a resident of Kupwara, the road and the wage brings the promise of education.
"I feel the wages being given are low but then it's a beginning. I can start saving money for continuing my studies now," says Tanvir.
About 224 villages are going to benefit in Kupwara alone with the scheme, whish is also taking off in Doda and Rajouri districts of Jammu.
Director, Rural Development Department Ghulam Ahmad Peer says, "The response was overwhelming. We received 50,000 applications in few days."
Villagers say that they are not just excited about getting wages and employment in the winter, but are also enthused about the fact that they will be able to contribute towards the betterment of their villages.
Comments
0 comment