National Rural Employment Guarantee Act NREGA
Rural unemployment has sharply accentuated in India in recent years. – Between 1993-94 and 1999-2000 rural employment grew at the annual rate of 0.58 per cent while the rate of growth of the rural population was much higher. In the absence of gainful employment opportunities in rural areas, an increasing number of rural households have faced the complete collapse of their incomes. This miserable plight of the rural households has driven an unprecedented number of farmers to commit suicide. Recognising this humanitarian crisis, the government enacted the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 2005 on the recommendation of the National Advisory Council.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was enacted in September 2005. It came into force on February 2, 2006, and was implemented in a phased manner. In Phase I it was introduced in 200 of the most backward districts of the country. It was implemented in an additional 130 districts in 2007-08 under Phase II. As per the initial target, NREGA was to be expanded countrywide in five years. However, to bring the whole nation under its safety net and keeping in view the demand, the scheme was extended to the remaining 274 rural districts of India from April 1, 2008, in Phase III. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) now covers all rural areas of the country. From October 2, 2009, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) has been renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Features of MGNREGS
MGNREGS seeks to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to at least one member of every rural household whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual work. Thus, MGNREGS is different from other wage employment programmes as it bestows a legal right and guarantees to the rural population through an act of Parliament and is not just a scheme like other wage employment programmes. With its rights-based framework and demand-driven approach, MGNREGS marks a paradigm shift from the previous was programmed.
Unique features of the scheme included, time-bound employment guarantee and wage payment within 15 days, incentive-disincentive structure to the state governments for employing 90 per cent of the cost of employment provided is borne by the Center or payment of unemployment allowance at their own cost, and emphasis on labour-intensive works prohibiting the use of contractors and machinery. At least 33 per cent of the beneficiaries are to be women. Under MGNREGS, wage disbursement through bank and post office accounts is mandatory. This is likely to help in the ‘financial inclusion of the poor.
The focus of MGNREGS is on works relating to water conservation, drought-proofing (including afforestation/tree plantation), land development, flood control/protection (including drainage in waterlogged areas) and rural connectivity in terms of all-weather roads, Panchayats have a key role in planning, implementation and monitoring of MGNREGS through the preparation of the perspective plan, approval of shelf of projects, and execution of works at least to the extent of 50 per cent in terms of costs. This shows that the Act is also a significant vehicle for strengthening decentralization and deepening the grassroots democratic structure.
MGNREGS promised a wage rate of Rs. 100 per day to a worker. From January 2011, the · government revised the wages by linking them to the consumer price index for agricultural labour. Accordingly, wages paid under MGNREGS have increased between 17 to 30% in different states.
Here are some notes on Emphasis Of Five Year Plans For Employment Generation