The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has placed Kanekera of Mahasamund Janpad Panchayat in the category of a ‘developing village panchayat’.
A total of 314 registered families residing in this panchayat and all the cardholder members of these families are working under MNREGA. Under MNREGA, such works have been done in Kanekera village panchayat that could profit farmers and the villagers, besides stop exodus.
Through the scheme, construction of two roads, culverts, pachri and pitching works and deepening of 8 ponds having a total area of 30 acres has been done. With the deepening work, water storage capacity of these ponds has been increased.
The pond deepening work has been done in the village panchayat with the objective of increasing irrigation facility. A total of 15 acres of land could be irrigated from these ponds in summer season also.
As approach road from Bazar Chowk to river has been constructed, the villagers were facilitated in coming and going for fair organised in the dry river bed during summer.
The villagers are much enthusiastic with the beautification, construction of pachri and pitching of the pond in front of famous Kaneshwar temple. During summer and monsoon seasons huge crowd of Kawaris reach the temple.
With the beautification and cleaning of the area, the number of Kawaris has been increased this year. During Shivratri, Navratri and Magh Poornima, devotees use this pond for bathing and ‘Jalabhishek’. Water from three other ponds is stored through pipeline. Because of which sufficient quantity of water remains in the pond round the year. According to the villagers, MNREGA has been a blessing for them. It has given a separate identity to the village at Janpad Panchayat level.