New Delhi: An extra 50 days of work for farmers/workers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme has been announced by the central government on Wednesday.

The union Cabinet, at a meeting here, decided that farmers hit by the deficient monsoon this kharif season would now get to work for a total of 150 days under MNREGA.

The rural employment guarantee scheme earlier provided for 100 days of unskilled manual work for registered farmers.

MNREGA, which came into effect on September 7, 2005, provides employment within 15 days of application, failing which the government provides daily unemployment allowance.

With inputs from IANS