SHILLONG: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many poor people in rural areas to open bank accounts to avail of the weekly monetary benefit for workers as announced by the state government.
That many villagers never even thought about starting an account was evident from the long queues outside Meghalaya Rural Bank at Ksehbilat (Laitkor) and Smit on Tuesday. Some of them had come as early as five in the morning.
Men and women sat on the steps outside the Ksehbilat bank in the afternoon sun and waited for their turn. The bank’s working hours are from 10 am to 4 pm.
Veronica Phawa was waiting since 8.30 am to open an account for her husband.
Riliancy Mawrie from Ksehbilat was also there since 9.30 am to open an account for her husband who is a misteri (labourer). A job card holder, Mawrie already has a bank account.
There were many MGNREGA workers in the queue who were at the bank to withdraw their share of government help.
People walked from Pomlakrai and Umphyrnai to stand in queue. Meirit Kharkongor from Pomlakrai said on days when the 100-day wage is over, she would work in fields or take up a domestic help’s job.
Though the Dorbar Shnong is responsible to assist the labourers who are mostly uneducated, there was no sign of volunteers at Ksehbilat.
However, in Smit, volunteers were assisting people in opening bank accounts and getting Rs 1,000 from the government, said the secretary of Smit Dorbar.
The state government will extend financial assistance of Rs 700 per week to all wage earners, daily labourers and petty traders (unregistered daily wage earners) who are out of work due to the COVID-19 lockdown under the Chief Minister’s Relief against Wage Loss Scheme.
The financial assistance will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries already registered under Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW), job card holders under MGNREGA.
The Labour Department has announced a monetary grant of Rs 1,000 per week to beneficiary workers registered with the Meghalaya Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board will be effective from March 30 to April 12.
The relief is in view of the 21-day lockdown called by the Prime Minister.
