TAMBARAM: Gram sabhas, held on Thursday in 25 panchayats of St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union (also called Mount Block) in connection with May Day, discussed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and how it could benefit men and women aged above 18, seeking jobs. It is mandatory for these rural local bodies to convene gram sabhas or village council meetings on important national days. The subjects usually covered at the meetings in the St. Thomas Mount Block pertained to basic amenities and the welfare assistance for senior citizens and women. The spotlight on the scheme at the meetings on Thursday was in line with the emphasis, laid by the government, on its effective implementation, following the launch of the NREGS in the Block on April 26. Officials said the initial response to the scheme was encouraging as more than 50 men and women have been given jobs and paid wages too. At some of the meetings on Thursday, staff of the village panchayats had to face questions about the quantum of wages made under the scheme. The residents said though they were interested in working under the scheme, similar jobs in the construction industry in the private sector were more lucrative. A village panchayat assistant told The Hindu that as per the NREGS, any able bodied person above 18 years without a job was eligible to be covered . The general works identified were deepening and desilting of lakes and tanks, formation of metal roads and drains. The daily work envisaged removal of 70 cubic feet of mud. The staff said that moving 70 cubic feet of sand was easy, but moving an equal quantity of clay was extremely difficult. Many village panchayats in the Block had attained near "self sustained status' and the scope for creating new works and jobs for the same was less. And even if job opportunities were created, those without jobs hardly came forward. Living on the fringes of Chennai that is witnessing a boom in construction activity and massive infrastructure projects, people in the 25 village panchayats would have no problem locating a job there. Further, private contractors gave workers nothing less than Rs.100 and in some projects, the wage was even Rs.300, depending on the nature of work. In comparison, Rs.80 offered under the Central government scheme was meagre, staff admitted. However, the scheme was started in right earnest and there was no going back on it. The initial response has been good, officials said, hoping that things would settle down in the few weeks to follow.