MGNREGS DEMAND NOT A TRUE INDICATOR OF DISTRESS

Why in the news?

  • Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran highlighted that demand under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) does not accurately reflect rural distress.
  • Studies show no satisfactory explanation for the uneven performance of the scheme across states.
source:slideshare

About the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS):

  • Legislation: Enacted August 25, 2005, provides 100 days of guaranteed employment annually for rural households.
  • Implementation: Managed by the Ministry of Rural Development, with state-level execution.
  • MGNREGA: Rural wage employment program in India.
  • Eligibility: Rural households with adults willing to work.
  • Administered by: Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) and state governments.

Objectives of MGNREGA:

  • Enhance livelihood security of the rural poor by creating wage employment.
  • Build rural assets to boost productive employment and sustain household income.
  • Enrol adults via Gram Panchayat for employment, with job cards issued.
  • Employment includes building infrastructure like roads, canals, and wells.
Key Provisions of MGNREGA:

  • Eligibility: Indian citizens, 18+, rural, willing to work.
  • Guaranteed Employment: 100 days of unskilled work at minimum wage.
  • Unemployment Allowance: If no work within 15 days, 1/4 wage for 30 days, 1/2 thereafter.
  • Social Audit: Mandated for transparency and accountability.
  • Local Employment: Work within 5 km, travel allowance for beyond.
  • Decentralised Planning: Managed by Panchayati Raj Institutions and Gram Sabhas.
  • Timely Payments: Weekly payments, delays addressed within 7 days.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/mahatma-gandhi-national-employment-guarantee-scheme-mgnregs/