By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, November 21, 2015 : Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday urged prime minister Narendra Modi to increase the wage rate fixed under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for Odisha to Rs 200 due to prevalent drought situation in the state.

The state government recently has recently decided to provide an additional 50 man days of work in drought affected blocks over and above 150 days of work provided by the union government under MGNREGS. Earlier, it had enhanced the minimum wage for unskilled labourers to Rs 200.

Patnaik shot off a letter to Modi urging him to provide adequate fund to the state under the MGNREGS to mitigate the drought-like situation and reduce the sufferings of the farmers in the state.

The state government has also decided to provide 30 percent extra wages as drought allowance to the MGNREGS workers over and above the wage rate fixed by the Centre.

While the present daily wage rate for unskilled labourers in Odisha fixed by Centre is Rs 174, the state government would provide Rs 52 as drought allowance from its own resources taking the total wages to be paid MGNREGS workers to Rs 226.

The chief minister also requested Modi for making provision in the MNREGA software to enable the state government to provide the extra incentives to the workers.