Home-made masks will be provided to the labourers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MNREGA) in the State to protect them from corona virus infection.
These masks are being made by the women self-help groups working under the mission. Additional Chief Secretary Rural Development Manoj Shrivastava has informed that the Ministry of Rural Development of the Government of India has advised all the states to provide hand-made masks to the labourers working under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme to protect them from COVID-19 infection.
He said that in this connection it has been decided by the Government of Madhya Pradesh to provide home-made masks made by the women self-help groups formed in the National Rural Livelihood Mission under the Rural Development Department to the MNREGA labourers.
He has said that the norms set by the Union Ministry of Health for preparing masks is also being ensured.
He informed that 2 lakh 87 thousand self help groups are working under the Rural Livelihood Mission in the state. The women members of these groups have been advised to prepare masks.
The masks produced by them have been named 'Home-Made Masks'.
In maximum districts of the state, the women members of the groups have already started preparing masks. So far, over 25.42 lakh have already been prepared by 1927 groups. In addition to this, 26,431 liter sanitizer and 3,000 PPE kits have also been prepared. These groups have also produced 52,246 hand wash soaps.
The Additional Chief Secretary, Manoj Shrivastava said that these items made by the women members of self-help groups are being made available to the MGNREGA workers and also to the poor beneficiaries of SC-ST categories of urban and rural areas as well as small farmers.