INTRODUCTION
We live in a developing country India .The Indian ecomomy is growing at a slow rate of 8% only.As estimated Gross Domestic product(GDP) growth was at 8.7% in financial year 2021-22 against a contraction of 6.6% in 2020-21. Moreover Per capita income of India is very low and getting declined year by year. The bigger part of Indian population is unemployed. To enhance the lifestyle of each individual in India,the Indian Government started the world’s largest employement guarantee program since 2005 under the name of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employement Guarantee Act(MGNREGA).
HISTORY
In 1991, the then prime minister of India Shri PV Narasimha Rao proposed this act. Lok Sabha passed NREGA on 23rd August 2004 and President of India signed the act on 5th Sept 2005. Govt. of India launched NREGA from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh on 2nd Feb2006.Initially NREGA covered 200 of the poorest districts of the country. Government of India implemented this act in phases.Govt. of India initially named this law as National Rural Employement Guarantee Act(NREGA).On birth anniversary of our father of nation on 02 Oct. 2009 ,Government renamed this scheme as MGNREGA .
OBJECTIVE OF MGNREGA
- Its main objective is to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employement in a year.
- Rejunevate natural resources like well ponds, roads, and canals in rural areas.
- To increase the purchasing power of rural poors.
- Reduce distress migration
- Create useful assets in Rural India.
- Empowerment of socially disadvantaged especially women, SCs, STs.
- Strengthening Panchayati raj as a whole.
ELIGIBILITY FOR MGNREGA:-
- Scheme is only for citizens of India
- Individual should be above 18years of age at the time of application
- Applicant must be a local household
- Individual should volunteer for unskilled labour.
- Any single woman living alone is also eligible to apply under this scheme.
HOW TO REGISTER IN MGNREGA:-
An individual can apply in his gram panchayat .There are basically three modes of application-i) through form ii) On a plain paper or iii) Orally.Not to mention the individual has to provide name, age, gender, name of village, block with photograph in application. In addition to that applicant provides his/her details whether they are beneficiary of SC/ST/OBC with thumb impression/signature in application. Gram panchayat needs correspondinly Ration card, aadhar card, or PAN card as proof of document. Subsequently Gram Panchayat provides job card to applicants after successful acceptance of application.
MGNREGA website
All the relevant information regarding MGNREGA can be accessed through below link:-https://nrega.nic.in/MGNREGA_new/Nrega_home.aspx
IMPORTANCE OF JOB CARD
Job card is legally a very important document which has MGNREGA registration number. This card contains details of the applicants in a household with photographs. Applicant can apply for a job with this Job card.Job card holder can also use this job card as proof(KYC), for opening account in bank or post office.
HOW AN APPLICANT CAN GET A JOB:-
Applicant can apply for work in his Gram Panchayat once he receives his Job card.Within 15 days of applying for job applicant may get job. After getting Job card applicant may apply for job in his Gram Panchayat by 3 modes: i) Orally, ii) through Telephone or iii) On a plain paper.An applicant may decide his time and duration for whih he wants the Job.Surprisingly an applicant may apply for multiple application for a job with his Job card.
PROVISION IN MGNREGA
MGNREGA provides right to get unemployement allowance,in case Gram Panchayat does not provide employement within 15 days. 15 days starts from the day of submitting the application or from the date when applicant seeks work in the case of an advance application whichever is later.Payment will be on weekly basis and in any case within a fortnight of date on which work was done.During execution of Job drinking water, first aid, 10% extra wages is provided if work location is beyond 5Km of radius .In addition to that medical treatment is also provided in case of inury in course of employement including cost of hospitalization.
IMPLEMENTATION
The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) of India , in its performance audit of the implementation of MGNREGA has found significant deficiency in the implementation of act. In recent times NREGA workers have faced delays in payment of wages, some of which have been pending for months.In July 2012, the Government admitted that corruption has spoiled the objective of this programme and its need to be dealt meaningfully.
COMPLAINTS
An applicant can lodge a complaint to respective Gram Panchayat . If concerned agency does not resolve, further applicant may take it to next level.
MGNREGA 2.0
MGNREGA 2.0 is an attempt to overcome the weakness of earlier programme. 2.0 infuse it with a truly livelihood generation character. By focusing on the creation of durable assets and improvement in Rural productivity Govt. is trying to populate MGNREGA 2.0. Government has added 30 new works in MGNREGA 2.0.
VARIATION OF WORK IN MGNREGA:-
MGNREGA allowed only 8 types of work earlier. The programme now covers almost every source of rural livelihood in every agro-ecological zone . It varies from poultry to fishery and from water shed development to sanitation work.
