I vividly remember the days, when we couldn’t find work and we would be forced to sleep empty stomach. In desperation, I would go out to seek financial support from people, only to be met with harassment and attempts at exploitation. I would come back, feed my hungry distraught children some water and put them to sleep. 

I then came to know about the MGNREGA scheme. I enquired immediately at my Gram Panchayat, got a job card made, gathered immense courage, and set out to work on projects as manual labourer. I worked continuously for a month, and earned Rs. 3000. Slowly and steadily with the help of my earnings, I started sending my children to school. 

The MGNREGA scheme has provided relief to many people across rural India. Especially for women workers like me, it has been an opportunity for us to financially sustain ourselves. But the pandemic has hit us all hard. If the middle class was brought down to its  knees, imagine the state the working class must be in. While the rich become richer, the poor have had to pay the greatest price. 

MGNREGA has supported many workers, women and young people in the country to attain a livelihood and has created a way for women to become financially  independent and stronger. It is important, now more than ever, that this scheme also be made more effective. 

In this attempt, I will begin with my state Uttar Pradesh, for a campaign that starts in Uttar Pradesh, truly impacts the rest of the country. I am thus requesting the government of Uttar Pradesh to increase the number of guaranteed employment days within MGNREGA from 100 to 150. 

Sign and share my petition, so that workers find 50 more days of employment, and subsequently 50 days of relief. 

There may be some who may not understand the relevance of this change. But this change will bring relief and happiness to lakhs of families. 50 more days of employment would mean the ability to feed their families for 50 more days in a year. I hope that you will lend your voice to this petition and help me take this campaign further so that the government takes a positive action on it. 

#100nahi150