The district administration Baramulla, in its endeavor to provide succor to the rural labour in the wake of COVID-19, has resumed a number of development works in rural parts of the district under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).District Development Commissioner, Baramulla, Dr G N Itoo, said that the department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has commenced works under MGNREGA in different parts of the district which shall be expedited in the coming days.As per the details received from ACD Baramulla, Yaar Ali Khan, construction works in about 104, out of 402 Panchayat Halqas, is in progress under the scheme. In all these PHs, about 3160 unskilled labourers have been engaged while monthly remuneration has been provided for about 312 works.ACD informed that due to closure of all works in the wake of COVID-19 lockdown the rural labourers had been facing lot of hardships so the administration initiated to restart work on several works under the scheme. He said that all the requisite guidelines especially maintaining social distancing and wearing safety gears, are being taken into consideration so as to prevent spread of the pandemic.Further, district administration has taken several welfare steps aimed at preventing the spread of Coronavirus.The Rural Development Department has distributed about 5.24 lakh masks in rural areas at their doorsteps. Besides, 38000 surgical single use masks were distributed among health and other workers engaged in combating COVID-19, 25500 among frontline workers and other employees and 3300 among the people in red zones. However, about 34726 reusable cotton masks were also distributed by several agencies among frontline workers, people in red zones and among the people living in other areas. In this regard, the services of PRIs, NGOs, SHGs, civil society members and other stakeholders of the society remained appreciable.